Topping our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list is a single that didn’t just dominate charts — it changed pop music forever.
Lorde’s debut, “Royals”, burst onto the scene in 2013 with a minimalistic sound and razor-sharp social commentary, immediately marking the arrival of a voice that would redefine modern pop. Her youthful perspective — given she was just 16 at the time — combined with her sharp, ironic commentary, made “Royals” feel revolutionary. In a matter of weeks and months, the song became a phenomenon, seemingly born out of nowhere.
While fans could make strong pitches for other songs like “Ribs” or “Green Light”, or more recently “Man of the Year” as Lorde’s best, none had the cultural impact that “Royals” did, which is why we named it No. 1 on our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list.
Commercially, “Royals” was a global phenomenon. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine non-consecutive weeks, making Lorde the youngest solo artist to achieve that milestone in over 25 years. The track also reached number one in over 15 countries and sold millions of copies worldwide. Its understated sound and clever critique of materialism struck a chord with a generation hungry for authenticity, upending the glitz and glam style of pop that typically dominated the charts.
In her home country of New Zealand, it debuted at No. 1 on the Top Singles Chart – a spot it held for three consecutive weeks. In Australia, it finished 2013 as the fifth best-selling single, and was also reported as the most-streamed song in the region by a female artist that year. It has since been certified 9x Platinum.
The song won big at the 2024 Grammy Awards, taking home Song of the Year – beating the likes of Bruno Mars, P!nk, Katy Perry, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – and Best Pop Solo Performance. Lorde also won the Silver Scroll Award in her home country, as well as Single of the Year at the 2013 New Zealand Music Awards.
Most publications, including Rolling Stone, featured the song high up on their year-end lists in 2013, while it also made it to No. 2 on triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2013, only edged out by Vance Joy’s ubiquitous “Riptide”.
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“Royals” launched the then-teenager into the stratosphere of global pop, despite her being one that shies away from the spotlight. Over the years, Lorde navigated the challenges of sudden fame on her own terms.
Nothing upended pop norms quite like “Royals”, which is why it took the No. 1 spot on our Best Australian & New Zealand Songs of the 21st Century So Far list.
