10 Coolest Women In Music Right Now

8. Lorde

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9byrfnOy2lk I'll be the first to admit that I really didn't 'get' Lorde at all at first. The whole image seemed to be too modelled on others, dissing other female artists was an impossibly naff move on her part and calling the debut record 'Pure Heroine' seemed a desperate way to generate some controversy. But when I saw her performance at the Grammy awards everything changed, it was a brilliantly single-minded, insouciant, fingers-up to the establishment. Suddenly it looked as if here is someone who knows exactly what they want to achieve and will do it their own way €“ she is the reverse of Miley Cyrus, she plays for herself rather than to the crowd. There's been a lot of conjecture about her age. On the one hand, it's very difficult to believe that Lorde is only 17 years old, but when you consider the subject matter of her best song 'Royals' well, it all adds up. Every generation needs its spokesperson, and the online teens for whom Facebook is passé - it's all about Snapchat these days, what century where you born in Grandad? €“ might have found the voice of their generation. With 'Royals' Lorde articulates the antipathy to bling and instead writes about the reality of modern youth. There is however the question, will she be a one hit wonder? Well given her outspoken views on feminism and the way she blew the Grammys away, let's hope not. An incredibly brilliant, generation-defining song has put her on the map - The Who made a career out of a move like that, and they didn't do too badly did they?