Everyone Has Their Goliath
Everyone has a Goliath. Their emotional break, the person who led them to change, and the lasting impact of vulnerability. These cycles of love and heartbreak harvest our authentic selves to fruition. Lorde is the figure that perfectly articulates the struggles of chipping away at yourself, crafting and molding your identity through the biblical reference of David and Goliath. Getting to that authenticity of self-expression and confidence means navigating our own “Goliath,” whether that be a person or a situation, to become the beautiful David. The song “David” beautifully narrates the complex journey of girlhood to womanhood, adolescence to adult, from insecurity to authenticity.
The exceptional and striking blend of synths, dramatic pauses, and builds-paired with Lorde’s raw and emotional vocals, conveys the emotions that shape the phases of ourselves. The music moves with the story of Lorde and her fight with Goliath to become this “David”. Her journey is intimately intertwined with the experience of navigating independence, self-realization, reflection, and vulnerability of embracing your autonomy–physically and emotionally.
The intimacy and vulnerability that Lorde has graced her listeners with allowed me to recognize and work through the many complex emotions I hadn’t been able to specify until “David”. Her artistic ability to articulate such felt knowledge allows her and her audience to embrace their own womanhood by reclaiming their power over the Goliath.
Lorde has always been a facet in my life. Whether that be listening to Ribs in 8th grade, Buzzcut Season, Supercut, etc- she has held my hand through the most tumultuous times in my life, and materialized a stronger version of myself. She raised most of my friends, peers, and individuals of my generation. Lorde has been with us in a reciprocal relationship to her audience, releasing her first album at only 16, and we have been a part of harvesting her womanhood alongside her. After a 4-year hiatus, our mother, Lorde, delivered with her most recent studio album, Virgin at the perfect time in mine and many others’ lives. The album acts as the chronicle to the trials and tribulations of navigating your 20s, and no one is more qualified to craft an album and songs that reflect growing up. As “David” sits in her top five most-streamed songs, it’s clear that Lorde did her job in hooking us on the unique sound that is “David”.