Have you tuned into the radio lately and heard Lorde’s hit song, “Royals”? The track has been making waves across pop stations, and even the New York Times chimed in with a review of her performance at Webster Hall. However, there’s a growing conversation around “Royals” that needs to be addressed, particularly regarding its lyrical content and underlying message.
For those unfamiliar, “Royals” presents itself as an anthem against the excesses of pop culture and wealth. Lorde sings about rejecting the typical tropes of luxury and fame often glorified in mainstream music. The lyrics paint a picture of a down-to-earth lifestyle, contrasting it with the “gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin’ in the bathroom” imagery pervasive in popular songs.
My friends and I – we’ve cracked the code.
We count our dollars on the train to the party.
And everyone who knows us knows that we’re fine with this,
We didn’t come from money.But every song’s like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin’ in the bathroom.
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin’ the hotel room,
We don’t care, we’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair
While a critique of consumerism and wealth disparity is certainly relevant and potentially insightful, “Royals” takes a problematic turn when we consider the cultural context of these luxury signifiers. The song’s lyrics, specifically the references to “gold teeth,” “Cristal,” and “Maybachs,” tap into deeply rooted racial stereotypes. These images are heavily associated with hip-hop culture and, by extension, Black artists and communities.
Why is this problematic? Because it perpetuates a harmful narrative that equates Black culture with materialism and excess, while implicitly positioning Lorde and her peers as somehow more authentic and grounded for rejecting these symbols. It’s a classic example of “othering,” where one group defines itself in opposition to another, often by negatively stereotyping the latter. Instead of critiquing the systemic issues of wealth inequality, “Royals” seems to punch down, targeting cultural expressions often associated with marginalized communities.
The New York Times review lauded “Royals” for its supposed “class consciousness,” praising Lorde for singing about “the gap between pop-culture fantasies of Cadillacs and diamonds and the reality of being someone who ‘didn’t come from money.'” This interpretation, however, completely misses the racial undertones of the song. It’s a concerning oversight from a major publication, highlighting a broader issue within predominantly white, liberal media spaces: a failure to critically examine the racial implications embedded within seemingly progressive or insightful art.
It’s crucial to ask: why are “gold teeth” and “Maybachs” chosen as the symbols of excessive wealth to be rejected? Why not critique the imagery of polo matches, yacht parties, or Wall Street excess – symbols more readily associated with white, affluent elites? The choice to focus on imagery linked to Black culture suggests a racial bias, consciously or unconsciously reinforcing negative stereotypes.
While Lorde was only sixteen when “Royals” became a hit, and hails from New Zealand, the song did not emerge in a vacuum. Numerous individuals within the music industry, including record executives and producers, were involved in its creation and promotion. The fact that these racial implications were seemingly overlooked by so many gatekeepers speaks volumes about the pervasiveness of systemic racism within the music industry and media.
This isn’t about silencing young artists or denying them the space to explore social commentary in their work. It’s about accountability and growth. Lorde, who has identified as a feminist, has an opportunity to deepen her understanding of intersectionality and racial justice. Hopefully, as she evolves as an artist, her feminism will become more inclusive and critically aware of the racial dynamics at play in our society and culture.
“Royals” sparked an important conversation about class and consumerism in pop music. However, to truly unpack its meaning, we must also confront the uncomfortable questions it raises about race, representation, and the subtle ways in which stereotypes can be perpetuated, even within songs that appear to be socially conscious on the surface. Ignoring the racial dimensions of “Royals” is not only a critical misstep but also a disservice to a more nuanced and honest understanding of pop culture’s impact.
