Lorde drops brand new EP sung entirely in te reo Māori and it is absolutely beautiful

Lorde's newest album Solar Power is an ode to the Aotearoa sun.

Now the Kiwi pop star has released a surprise new EP sung entirely in te reo Māori, called Te Ao Mārama.

The artist revealed the news in a release this afternoon, writing, "I've been waiting a really long time to share with you.

"It is my great pleasure to present TE AO MĀRAMA, a 5-song companion piece to SOLAR POWER, sung entirely in te reo Māori, the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand."

Lorde went on to say that throughout the process of making Solar Power, she realised that "much of my value system around caring for and listening to the natural world comes from traditional Māori principles."

She also spoke of the Māori principle of kaitiakitanga, which refers to caring for the sky, sea and land.

"I'm not Māori, but all New Zealanders grow up with elements of this worldview. Te ao Māori and tikanga Māori are a big part of why people who aren't from here intuit our country to be kind of 'magical', I think."

Lorde said that as a New Zealand artist, it was important for her to showcase reo Māori in her work.

"It's also just a crazy beautiful language— I loved singing in it. Even if you don't understand te reo, I think you'll get a kick out of how elegant my words sound in it."

Lorde thanked friends Hemi and Hana for translating the words into te reo. Prominent Kiwi artists Bic Runga and Marlon Williams also feature on the tracks.

All the proceeds from the EP will go to two New Zealand charities, Forest and Bird and
Te Hua Kawariki Charitable Trust.

Te Ao Mārama tracklist:

1. Te Ara Tika / The Path 

2. Te Ao Mārama / Solar Power 

3. Mata Kohore / Stoned at the Nail Salon

4. Hua Pirau / Fallen Fruit 

5. Hine-i-te-Awatea / Oceanic Feeling 

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.