Lorde
Just when we thought we'd never see another eclipse akin to Gotye of 2012, along comes Lorde to save the music industry from ultimate demise. Pure Heroine? The 16-year-old's smoky vocal is the keystone here on her debut long-player – it's flawless. The production is immaculate, feeling like Lana Del Rey shaking hands with Jamie xx mostly; slow, driving beats that build but don't necessarily go anywhere. Overall, the hooks are scarce, probably because they're all stuffed into Royals, but the effortless cool is present throughout, perhaps even being the ultimate detraction from pure greatness.
