Lorde for ELLE US October 2014

On self-constructing her persona: “It’s something people my age have grown up with. You can go on the Tumblr of any young person in the world and see people marketing themselves. Everyone my age is like that now. We’re all hyperaware of how we’re being seen.”

On the upside of being known for expressing her opinions: “People have told me that I’ve helped them feel confident, like they can say things they want to say. They can talk about feminism in class without people calling them a lesbian. That’s so amazing that I can make someone feel like that.”

 On figuring out how to navigate career, fame, the media, and being a teenager all at once: “It’s very specific. I have definitely learned how to be flexible. Before, I would just be like, ‘Fuck it.’ I have such a strong idea of what is cool and great for me. If I think something is shit, I express that. But now the circle of people I work with all the time is huge and spans continents, and you have to be quite conscientious. So it’s, like, learning not to hurt people’s feelings. Obviously, I am hanging out with more people now who are not teenage; I’m in different circles. But I am a teenager. My brain is, like, a certain age. Everyone is talking about you. You have to learn not to care as much.”