“Yellow Flicker Beat” is a song by New Zealand recording artist Lorde. Written by Lorde and Joel Little and produced by Paul Epworth, the song was released on September 29th 2014 as the lead single from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 by Republic Records.
A music video for the song was directed by Emily Kai Bock and was released on November 7th 2014. Four days later, the makeover of the song titled “Flicker (Kanye West Rework)” co-produced by Lorde and Kanye West was released.
The track was well-received by music critics, who praised its lyrical content for being more mature than that of Lorde’s previous releases. “Yellow Flicker Beat”, which features an electronic production, is characterised as an art pop and electropop song. The lyrics of the track reference the rise of The Hunger Games ’ heroine Katniss Everdeen.
The music video premiered on Lorde’s official YouTube VEVO channel in early November 2014. It was released on November 6th, 2014 as the lead single from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.
Lyrics for Lorde – Yellow Flicker Beat
I’m a princess cut from marble, smoother than a storm.
And the scars that mark my body, they’re silver and gold,
My blood is a flood of rubies, precious stones,
It keeps my veins hot, the fire’s found a home in me.
I move through town, I’m quiet like a fight,
And my necklace is of rope, I tie it and untie.And now people talk to me, but nothing ever hits home
People talk to me, and all the voices just burn holes.
I’m done with it (ooh)[Chorus:]
This is the start of how it all ends
They used to shout my name, now they whisper it
I’m speeding up and this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
We’re at the start, the colours disappear
I never watch the stars, there’s so much down here
So I just try to keep up with the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heartI dream all year, but they’re not the sweet kinds
And the shivers move down my shoulder blades in double timeAnd now people talk to me, I’m slipping out of reach now
People talk to me, and all their faces blur
But I got my fingers laced together and I made a little prison
And I’m locking up everyone who ever laid a finger on me
I’m done with it (ooh)[Chorus]
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat sparking up my heart
And this is the red, orange, yellow flicker beat-beat-beat-beat