2013 YEAR OF OUR LORDE

Early in the year of our Lorde, Spy followed a 16-year-old Takapuna Grammar student Ella Yelich-O’Connor, who in March that year had buzz swirling around her stage name Lorde and her unofficial first single Royals. That September, Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine arrived and became one of 2014‘s best-selling albums. It was certified platinum in the UK, double platinum in Canada and triple platinum in Australia and the US.

Lorde made Time Magazine’s list of most influential teenagers in the world in 2013 and 2014. She has an estimated net worth of $12m — and she’s not yet 23.