Big move from Lorde
Our Lorde is clearly a very special entertainer. Barely out of her teens she already has two massive albums acclaimed by both critics and consumers, plus a bagful of awards and a great deal of adulation from New Zealand and overseas.
There is a maturity beyond her years, both in the lyrics and arrangements of her award-winning songs and the articulation of the motivation and method that drives her music.
Now we have been given a glimpse of a new, more political maturity, after Lorde’s move to cancel her June 2018 concert in Israel.
She was to appear in Tel Aviv on June 5 but has now pulled out after an online outcry sparked by an open letter from two fans - one Jewish and the other Palestinian - urged her to boycott the Israeli city.
Her move is commendable, especially given the dramatic vote in the United Nations last week, in which the great majority of the world’s nations denounced America’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the country’s capital and potentially re-ignite the flames of anger in the divided and divisive city. In making her own protest she stands shoulder to shoulder, not only with her own country but also with those who would denounce the growing belligerence of America.
We write and read so much these days about young people whose interests appear to extend no further than their gadgets, and celebrities more focused on building brands rather than bridges. So it is refreshing to see one who is willing to at least consider the world beyond their circle of friends and influence, and who is then able to take a stand for what they perceive is right.
Lorde’s action will come at a cost. There will be a loss of potential revenue from the Tel Aviv concert. But she is also set to tour the United States - 30 concerts that could go some way to solidifying her status in global pop royalty.
That new-found political awareness and maturity is likely to be tested in what is still regarded as the most important entertainment market in the world.
Given the strong Jewish influence in American politics and the clear and painful rebuke for the United States in the still-fresh UN vote, Lorde is likely to meet a very different type of melodrama and the kind of questions that go beyond her music.
Those questions will not be, should not be, just about Israel and the status of Palestinians.
People might quite rightly ask why Lorde would boycott Israel but continue in the US, which has so clearly turned its back on peace, and the Palestinians, and sided with its Israeli allies.
They might also want to know if she still intends going ahead with two concerts in Russia, where homosexuals are hounded, the LGBT community is virtually outlawed and democracy is near-dead. What is her stance on that?
Politics is a Pandora’s Box. Opening it might seem the right thing to do, but you risk being squeezed into a corner. We support Lorde’s efforts to do what she thinks is right, and we hope she has the maturity and political dexterity to fight for her corner and to handle what is likely to come next.