"I felt very uncomfortable" - Fuamoli

Music journalists Mikey Cahill and Sosefina Fuamoli debate with Jen Cloher about how valid Lorde's Maori version of Solar Power was.

New Zealand performer Lorde’s latest album Solar Power has caused a ripple in the music industry, but not for the usual reasons.

Just a month after her third record dropped, Lorde put out an EP version with all of the lyrics sung in New Zealand’s te reo Maori language. Initially labelled as a project full of learning for the singer, Hit Different have evaluated whether the idea counts as cultural appropriation.

Co-host Sose Fuamoli, of Samoan and Australian heritage, felt like the EP didn’t sit right with her.

“My reaction to this record wasn’t necessarily that Lorde shouldn’t be doing this, it was more another example of someone who looks acceptable to the mainstream being given praise for using a language that has been so historically demonised and denigrated for so many years,” Fuamoli said.

It leads to the question of whether Lorde’s move typifies cultural appropriation. With a Maori background herself, performer Jen Cloher was also wary of the motives behind Lorde’s EP.

“Even though Lorde donated all of the proceeds from her EP, she benefited as far as prestige,” Cloher said.

“I think she comes off looking like a good white person.”

The trio, featuring co-host Mikey Cahill, all agreed that the timing of Lorde’s release was poor. Te reo Maori’s language week fell on September 13-19 this year, with the EP dropping right in the middle of New Zealand’s main Indigenous celebrations.

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We covered it on Hit Different, a weekly podcast that puts music culture in context.

But Fuamoli and Cloher were also quick to jump to the defence of Lorde, reasoning that she may not have considered the implications of her decision.

“I think Lorde’s awesome, from what I’ve heard of her in interviews, she’s great,” Cloher said.

“I just feel like she went in with good intentions, but it shows that if you’re not from that cultural group, it’s better to stay away because it’s overshadowed a beautiful week that’s dedicated to te reo Maori, and become this big debate around a white girl.”

“I’m not here to bash her because that doesn’t achieve anything, and if I’m wanting more acceptance of Indigenous languages then I can’t be throwing up roadblocks every time someone tries something,” Fuamoli admitted.

Going forward, all three members of Hit Different agreed that a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures and an interest in celebrating them were key to sensitively championing them in music.

“What I do hope is that this is a serious part of Lorde’s journey to find out more about the land that she has been born and raised on,” Fuamoli offered.

“Lorde has Irish Gaelic blood,” Cloher said.

“And that is a language on the verge of extinction, so what an amazing cultural experience it would’ve been for her to reclaim this language and learn something about her people in the process.”

Hear the full story on Hit Different, a free weekly podcast that puts music culture in context.