Guest blogger David Anderson attends Delta's Pre-Grammy Party in Los Angeles.
Bathed in a magenta light, her long hair overtaking her face at times, Lorde stood on the lip of the Soho House West Hollywood stage Thursday night and sang like the mythical musical goddess, wonder kid she is. “Seventeen, really?” were the kind of whispered conversations had between numbers of her seven-song set. In such a small intimate setting, it doesn’t seem possible that this New Zealand woman, four-time Grammy nominated artist, isn’t at least of drinking age. Her sophisticated style and performance is not of the J. Bieber ilk. She carried herself on Delta’s Blue Carpet like a true dame of show business and then wowed with her 30-minute set.
The private performance was part of Delta Air Lines' kickoff to Grammy weekend and included a star-studded guest list: Hilary Duff, Lance Bass, Kate Walsh, Kaley Cuoco Sweeting, Anna Kendrick, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jena Malone, Julianne Hough, Victoria Justice, Alex Kinsey and Sierra Deaton. (See our photos from the blue carpet!) Delta flight attendants and pilots served cocktails and offered up JBL headphones as swag. A buffet of Soho House’s delicious cuisine from paella to chicken sliders to steak skewers fed the guests who included the likes of Delta Million Milers, filmmakers, musicians, travel writers and Grammy organizers.
All eyes, of course, were on Lorde who was accompanied by her drummer and DJ on the 30-foot stage. “Royals,” the single that’s brought her to American airwaves, brought out a sea of bobbing cell phones raised toward the stage, yearning to capture this rendition—true to the album but so raw and inspired. Security scrambled to squash the photos and selfies (no photos allowed in this venue) but were overpowered. She followed up with “Ribs,” the driving bass beat filling the room with wonderful angst. The song lyrics are, after all, about Lorde’s biggest stress: getting older. To raucous applause, she took two half bows, graciously thanked the crowd and then exited. Grammy weekend had just begun.
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