Here’s something that might surprise you. Do you know Lorde, the Grammy-winning powerhouse who commands stadium-sized crowds? She battles stage fright just like the rest of us. Hard to believe, right?
Here’s the thing about those dazzling festival performances you see on Instagram. They don’t tell the whole story. Behind that confident stage presence, Lorde grapples with the same butterflies that plague speakers everywhere. She’s developed her own tricks to cope with performance anxiety – little strategies that have become part of her artistic DNA.
This post looks at how even superstars wrestle with those familiar pre-show jitters. When Lorde bravely opens up about these struggles, she’s not just sharing war stories – she’s showing us what it really takes to perform under pressure, inspiring us with her courage and vulnerability.
Dancing with Anxiety: The Two Sides of Lorde
Watch Lorde on stage, and something will catch your eye right away. No choreographed moves, no rehearsed routines – just raw, unfiltered movement that makes some fans cheer and others scratch their heads [1]. It’s like watching someone dance alone in their bedroom, except the bedroom is a packed arena.
Fame hit Lorde like a tidal wave when she was barely old enough to drive. “I remember, over and over, the sensation of feeling like people wanted to drink my youth,” she confesses. That early spotlight shaped her into something fascinating – a pop star who refuses to play by the usual rules.
Here’s what makes a Lorde performance different:
- She moves like nobody's watching (even when thousands are)
- The person you see on stage is pretty much the same one you'd meet backstage
- Every show feels like opening night – raw, honest, and sometimes messy
Here’s where things get interesting. At 19, Lorde did something that changed everything – she started therapy. Her take on it? “To be a pop star not in therapy, I cannot imagine those shark-infested waters!” Simple as that. No fancy Hollywood spin, just honest talk about mental health.
Taming the Butterflies: Lorde's Anxiety Toolkit
Peek behind the velvet curtain, and you’ll find something fascinating – Lorde’s personal battle plan for what she calls “really bad stage fright.” Think of it as her secret weapon arsenal. Still, we’re talking about sticky notes and jigsaw puzzles instead of smoke machines and light shows.
She leaves little notes for herself around the stage, like breadcrumbs of courage. “I tape little notes to the stage for myself, so I would go over and be able to read something that me from the past is trying to tell me from the future,” she explains. Simple. But sometimes simple works best.
Here’s where things get quirky – before shows, while other artists might be doing vocal warm-ups or makeup touch-ups, Lorde’s usually hunched over a puzzle. No joke. She’s often “applying a piece right when it’s time to go.” It’s her version of mindfulness with more cardboard pieces.
The evolution of her anxiety management looks something like this:
- She's become a people-watcher, jotting down notes about faces she spots in the crowd
- Gone are the days of post-show "gummy or tequila" crutches – she's found calmer ways to decompress
- The anxiety? Still there, but now it's "more manageable, more on my terms"
The transformation hits home when she reflects, “I used to come offstage and feel like I had stepped from one planet onto another.” These days, she’s found her footing on both planets. Not bad for someone who once thought stage fright would be her permanent dance partner. Lorde’s journey with anxiety is one that many can empathize with, fostering a sense of understanding and connection.
When Stage Fright Shapes Art
Folks, something remarkable happens when an artist stops fighting their anxiety and starts dancing with it. That’s precisely what we’ve witnessed with Lorde. Her stage fright didn’t just fade away – it became the paint on her artistic palette.
Take “Solar Power,” her latest release. The album reads like a diary entry about growing up under spotlights, wrapped in honest musings about fame’s strange circus. These days, she’s traded stadium echoes for intimate venues, where every face in the crowd becomes part of her performance family.
The anxiety that once threatened to silence her? It’s become her songwriting companion, birthing mellower melodies and acoustic soul-searching that feels like a warm cup of tea for your ears. Don’t get me wrong – those early hits still pack a punch, but they’re more like old photos in her musical album now.
Whether you’re sixteen, terrified, or forty and finding your voice, Lorde’s journey hits home. She puts it perfectly: “I know you’re scared, so was I, but all will be revealed in time”. Simple words, profound truth – just like the best kind of art.
Making Friends with Fear
Here’s something worth pondering – what happens when you stop wrestling with stage fright and start treating it like an old friend? Lorde’s journey offers us a masterclass in this art. She’s turned performance anxiety into her creative companion, from scribbled notes on stage floors to puzzle pieces scattered in dressing rooms.
Most pop stars hide behind practiced moves and perfect makeup. Not Lorde. She chose the more challenging path – raw, unfiltered authenticity. Those spontaneous dance moves you see? They’re not mistakes. They’re victory dances in her ongoing dialogue with anxiety.
Time tells interesting stories. What began as paralyzing fear has morphed into something more like creative fuel. Each pre-show ritual and mindful moment on stage are no longer coping mechanisms. They’re brushstrokes in her artistic expression.
Look beneath any polished performance, and you’ll find a human story. Lorde’s tale reminds us that our struggles don’t need to become our limitations. Sometimes, like that finger trap toy, the answer isn’t to pull harder against our fears – it’s to relax into them, to let them teach us something new about ourselves. Simple wisdom, isn’t it? But sometimes simple is exactly what we need.
FAQs
Q1. How does Lorde manage her stage fright? Lorde employs unique techniques to cope with performance anxiety, including taping personal notes to the stage for self-encouragement and solving puzzles before shows. She has also developed a more mindful approach to performing, focusing on staying present and connected during her performances.
Q2. Why did Lorde choose her stage name? Lorde selected her stage name due to her fascination with royalty and aristocracy. She added an ‘e’ to ‘Lord’ to make it more feminine, creating a strong and grand alias that differed from her birth name.
Q3. How has Lorde’s performance style evolved over time? Lorde’s performance style has transformed from vulnerable confessions to more mature, powerful expressions. She now encourages audience participation and has developed a unique, unchoreographed dancing style that has become her signature. Her approach now prioritizes creating personal connections with her audience, especially in smaller venues.
Q4. What impact has stage fright had on Lorde’s artistic expression? Stage fright has significantly influenced Lorde’s artistic expression, leading her to develop a more authentic and raw performance style. It has shaped her songwriting, resulting in more introspective and mellow tracks. Her struggle with anxiety has also deepened her connection with audiences, as she openly shares her vulnerabilities.
Q5. How common is stage fright among performers? Stage fright is surprisingly common, even among high-profile performers. Many artists, including well-known singers, experience symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, and nausea before performances. However, like Lorde, many learn to manage these feelings through various coping mechanisms and embrace their vulnerability on stage.
