Lorde’s “Royals” Officially Joins YouTube’s Exclusive Billion Views Club
She may have famously proclaimed she’ll never be a royal, but Lorde has just earned a digital crown. The music video for her breakout masterpiece, “Royals,” has officially surpassed one billion views on YouTube, marking the New Zealand singer-songwriter’s first entry into the platform’s prestigious Billion Views Club.
Serving as the lead single from her 2013 debut studio album, Pure Heroine, “Royals” was a cultural phenomenon that reshaped the pop landscape. The track dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks. At the time, the then-16-year-old Lorde became the youngest solo artist to top the chart since Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” in 1987. The song’s critical acclaim was equally impressive, earning Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
The success of “Royals” propelled Pure Heroine to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and launched several other hits, including “Team,” “Tennis Court,” and “Glory and Gore.” In the decade since her debut, Lorde has solidified her status as an alternative-pop icon, with three subsequent albums reaching the top five of the Billboard 200, including her chart-topping sophomore effort, Melodrama.
This milestone coincides with a significant transition in the artist’s career. Lorde recently informed fans that her original contract with Universal Music Group—which she signed at the tender age of 12—has officially concluded. Emerging from the deal after more than a decade, the singer expressed a newfound sense of creative freedom.
“I feel a sense of openness and possibility, and I’m inspired,” she shared in a series of voice notes to her followers, describing her current state as a “clean slate.” She noted that it feels exhilarating to have “removed the container” as she looks toward her next era.
As fans eagerly anticipate what this independent chapter holds, they can revisit the minimalist, genre-defining video that started it all below.
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