Yellow Flicker Beat

## Music Video

"**Yellow Flicker Beat**" is a stand alone single from New Zealand singer Lorde for *The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1* soundtrack. The song was featured at the ending of the movie during the credits.

## Background

On 31 July 2014, it was announced that Lorde would be recording songs for the soundtrack for the film *The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1*.On 23 September 2014, Lorde announced that the song, titled "Yellow Flicker Beat", would be released on 29 September 2014.

The song was written by Lorde and Joel Little and produced by Paul Epworth. "Yellow Flicker Beat" was recorded at the Lakehouse Recording Studios in New Jersey on 28 and 29 August 2014. The song was engineered by Matt Wiggins and Erik Kase Romero.

### Composition

Yellow Flicker Beat" lasts for a duration of 3:52 (three minutes and fifty two seconds). *The Sydney Morning Herald*'s reviewer Bernard Zuel characterised it as an electropop song and noted the electronic production on the song. The song features Lorde's "brooding croon" over minimal synthesisers and rattling drums. Lyrically, the song references the rise of Hunger Game's heroine Katniss Everdeen.

## Reception

### Critical Reception

Writing for *Spin*, Carley praised the metaphorical and mature lyrics of "Yellow Flicker Beat". Meanwhile, Reed complimented on the song's production, writing that the song "fits comfortably within the 17-year-old's sonic wheelhouse." On behalf of *The Sydney Morning Herald*, Zuel labelled the track "another smart musical, as much as career, step by Lorde". *Billboard*'s Steven J. Horowitz opined that Lorde's voice complemented the song's beat well, and rated it three and a half out of five stars. Chris Schulz of *The New Zealand Herald* wrote that "Yellow Flicker Beat" sounded too similar to Lorde's previous work, and lamented the lack of a catchy hook and chorus. Lydia Jenkin, also from the *Herald*, pointed out that its purpose was to promote the *Mockingjay* soundtrack, not a Lorde studio album, and lauded the song as "a perfect musical depiction of Katniss Everdeen". The single was ranked at number 4 on *Cosmopolitan'*s list The 50 Best Songs of 2014.

### Chart Performance

In the United States, "Yellow Flicker Beat" debuted at number seventeen on the *Billboard*'s Alternative Songs chart. In doing so, Lorde logged the highest launch by a female artist on the chart since 1995 when Juliana Hatfield's "Universal Heart-Beat" also debuted at number seventeen. Additionally, the single appeared on the Adult Alternative Songs at number nineteen with 5.2 million radio audience impressions in first-week audience. On the *Billboard* Hot 100, the single peaked at number thirty-four. "Yellow Flicker Beat" also fared on several national record charts, including Australia (number thirty-three), Canada (number fifty-one), Ireland (number eighty-three), and the United Kingdom (number ninety-nine). The single was a success in New Zealand, peaking at number four on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It was certified gold by the Recorded Music NZ.

## Music Video

### Background

The music video for "Yellow Flicker Beat" was directed by Emily Kai Bock, and was released on 7 November 2014 at midnight (NZDT), when Lorde turned eighteen years old.

### Synopsis

The video starts with Lorde singing in a faintly lit motel room, where her hair is done up in a pompadour. Afterwards, the clip showcases Lorde in several different locations: a kitchen, a highway, an airplane hangar and a 1920s-inspired cocktail party. For each location, Lorde is seen with different styles, costumes and makeups. During several scenes, Lorde "shows off her twitchy, witchy dance moves."

### Reception

*Billboard*'s Zach Dionne complimented the fashion choice on the video, calling it "awesome". Jon Blistein of *Rolling Stone* opined that the music video had little to do with *The Hunger Games*' concept; however, it did capture "the alienation and defiance that fuels Katniss." Likewise, Andrew Untergerger from *Spin* wrote that the clip was "disappointing [because] there's no actual *Hunger Games* footage in there", yet complimenting on its overall production and called it "cinematic." On behalf of MTV News, Abby Devora wrote that Lorde "is [...] truly coming into her own" and named it a welcome change from Lorde's previous videos.

## Lyrics

[Verse 1]

I'm a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm

And the scars that mark my body, they're silver and gold

My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones

It keeps my veins hot, the fire's found a home in me

I move through town, I’m quiet like a fight

And my necklace is of rope, I tie it and untie it

[Pre-Chorus 1]

And now people talk to me, but nothing ever hits home

People talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes

I’m done with it (ooh)

[Chorus]

This is the start of how it all ends

They used to shout my name, now they whisper it

I'm speeding up and this is the

Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

We’re at the start, the colors disappear

I never watch the stars, there’s so much down here

So I just try to keep up with them

Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

[Verse 2]

I dream all year, but they're not the sweet kinds

And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double time

[Pre-Chorus 2]

And now people talk to me I'm slipping out of reach now

People talk to me, and all their faces blur

But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison

And I'm locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me

I’m done with it (ooh)

[Chorus]

This is the start of how it all ends

They used to shout my name, now they whisper it

I'm speeding up and this is the

Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

We’re at the start, the colors disappear

I never watch the stars, there’s so much down here

So I just try to keep up with them

Red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart

[Outro]

And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat

Sparking up my heart

And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat

## Kanye West Rework

Lorde and Kanye West produced a version of the song titled "Flicker (Kanye West Rework)", which was also included on the *Mockingjay – Part 1* soundtrack album, at a Malibu, California studio. The track was made available for purchase on 11 November 2014 as one of the pre-order tracks from the soundtrack. Talking about the collaboration with West, Lorde commented,

> "He's so private [that] I feel weird talking about how he does stuff. I feel lucky to even be in a room with him."
>
>

The track incorporates stripped-down production, "creepy textural" synthesisers and "booming, echo-laden" beats and does not feature West's vocals. According to a number of critics, the production on it is reminiscent of West's album *Yeezus* (2013). Emilee Lindner from MTV News deemed the rework as "creepy in an epic way."