“Green Light”
Writers: Ella Yelich-O’Connor Jack Antonoff Joel Little
Original Release Date: March 2, 2017
We can all breathe a sigh of relief because Lorde has blessed us with new music for the first time in nearly four years.
When “Green Light” dropped a couple of months ago, the internet lost it. The 20 year old New Zealander burst back into our headphones with a song that gets us dancing and crying at the same time, reminding us of how powerful her vocals are. Co-written by Jack Antonoff (Steel Train/fun./Bleachers)—who we all know is capable of producing a fantastic hook—it’s a poppy anthem that is best described by Lorde herself: “complex and funny and sad and joyous and it’ll make you DANCE”. Inspired by heartbreak, the song is about waiting for the moment when it’s okay to let go—the “green light” that signals it’s time to move forward.
If there were still any questions about it, it’s safe to say that All Time Low has matured. Yeah they still make naughty jokes on stage, but musically, they’ve never sounded more sophisticated. Alex Gaskarth’s vocals are a thing of beauty in this cover—he channels some of the great singers of 90s alternative rock like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder in his gruffness and it’s a joy to hear. They take Lorde’s electropop break-up anthem and turn it into something broodier, but still emotive. The way Rian Dawson’s drums take over in the verses and the background vocals from Zack Merrick and Jack Barakat help push this cover into a whole new level of awesome.
As fantastic and different as Lorde’s new material is, I’ve listened to the All Time Low cover approximately fifty-seven times since it came out and I still get chills every time.
