Royals (song)

For the song by Paul Rey, see Royals (Paul Rey song).

"Royals"
A close-up shot of a shirtless male with his silver chain necklace in focus and water pouring over his face. The artist's name and song title appear in small white capital letters at the bottom of the artwork.
Single by Lorde
from the EP The Love Club EP and the album Pure Heroine
B-side
Released3 June 2013 (2013-06-03)
RecordedJuly 2012
StudioGolden Age (Auckland)
Genre
Length3:10
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Joel Little
Lorde singles chronology
"Royals"
(2013) 		"Tennis Court"
(2013)
Music video
"Royals" on YouTube

"Royals" is the debut single by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, included in her debut extended play (EP) The Love Club EP (2012) and debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013). Lorde wrote the song with producer Joel Little. "Royals" is a minimalist art pop and electropop song with influences of hip hop, R&B, and indie pop. The track's lyrics critique the sumptuous lifestyle presented in songs and music videos by popular musicians, making them appear like modern-day royalty.

"Royals" received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised its songwriting, production, and Lorde's vocal performance. Since its release, the track has appeared on critics' year-end and decade-end listicles. The single attained international chart success, reaching number one in Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where it spent nine weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It sold 22 million units worldwide, and is within the RIAA’s top 20 highest certified singles, at 14x platinum, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. In the media, the song has been credited for inspiring some artists to adopt its minimalist sound and has been called an anthem for millennials.

The music video for "Royals" was directed by Joel Kefali and premiered on Lorde's YouTube channel on 12 May 2013. It shows teenagers in a suburban neighbourhood interspersed with minimal shots of Lorde. The track won awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards, and the APRA Silver Scroll Award. Lorde performed "Royals" on her Pure Heroine (2013–14), Melodrama (2017–18) and Solar Power (2022–23) concert tours. Critics have credited the song for paving the way for other alternative-leaning pop artists. It was ranked number 30 on Rolling Stone's 2020 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[1]

  1. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2024.