Te Ao Mārama (EP)

' (Māori for "world of light") is the third extended play by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. It was released on 9 September 2021, through Universal Music New Zealand. It consists of performances of five songs from Lorde's third studio album, ''Solar Power'', in the Māori language.

Background and lyrics

After the release of her third studio album ''Solar Power'', New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde approached Marion and Sandra Wihongi, whom she called the project's "unsung heroes", with the idea of creating an extended play. Lorde told Leonie Hayden of ''The Spinoff'' that the two Wihongi sisters "put together a bit of a document for me, just sort of helping me understand what would be right".

Lorde had little knowledge of the Māori language, explaining that "it wasn't something that was a big part of erlife, and it was something that hehad sort of sadness and a little bit of guilt around". ' translates to "world of light" in te reo Māori, which is both a reference to the title of ''Solar Power'', and "", which is a Māori phrase as part of the creation narrative that symbolises the transformation from night to enlightened world.

Hinewehi Mohi (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe) assisted in the creation of ', bringing Tīmoti Kāretu, Hana Mereraiha, and Hēmi Kelly onto the project. Mohi also performs vocals on "Hua Pirau / Fallen Fruit". Three of the songs − "Te Ara Tika / The Path", " Mata Kohore / Stoned at the Nail Salon", and "Hine-i-te-Awatea / Oceanic Feeling" − were translated into Māori by Mereraiha. Mereraiha also instructed Lorde on pronunciation of Māori. The translations of the songs were created by the translators holding discussions with Lorde as to what the songs meant to her personally, as well as what memories and images the songs invoked, and re-interpreting this from a Māori point of view.

Lorde acknowledged her status as a white person in making the EP, saying "however you want to interpret me wanting to engage with our Indigenous culture, that's fair enough. I totally accept that, because it is really complicated. This isn't something where I have both feet on the ground – I am a little bit out of my depth, and I'm the first to admit that, and I'm opening myself up to any response to this."

Lorde explained that the Māori concept of kaitiakitanga, which loosely translates to guardianship, contributed to her understanding of ', saying "I started writing about jumping off Bulli Point, which was something that my dad had done, his grandfather had done, and that I hope my children will do. That feeling of being in a body of water that you have a generational connection to. I was writing an album about the spiritual power of the natural world, specifically in the context of where we're from, and I realised; oh, there's a word for this – it's kaitiakitanga."

Artwork

The cover artwork for ' is a recoloured version of ''Serene'' by Rei Hamon (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), a New Zealand artist.

Songs

The EP opens with "Te Ara Tika / The Path", which Lorde called her "favourite one" from the EP. It is followed up by the title track, " Te Ao Mārama / Solar Power", which was translated to Māori by Hēmi Kelly. Kelly said of the song, "I love the warmth of summer so it was easy for me to connect with the lyrics". Kelly noted the song's lyrical themes of "leaving your worries behind and moving into a positive space", and connected it to Māori creation narratives "of moving from darkness, , into the world of light, ".

The third track is "Mata Kohore / Stoned at the Nail Salon". The song's translator, Hana Mereraiha, explained of the Māori title that "'' means sort of red eyes but also blurry-eyes, so when you're not quite seeing clearly – maybe you're over-thinking, or not seeing things so clearly". It is followed by "Hua Pirau / Fallen Fruit", which was translated by Tīmoti Kāretu. Lorde said that translates to "fruit that is rotten, or fruit that is fermented". She also explained that there was difficulty in translating some of the metaphors of the song into Māori, "because the song is speaking to an older generation about what they have left us with, in terms of fucking up our planet, basically".

The final track on ' is "Hine-i-te-Awatea / Oceanic Feeling", translated by Mereraiha. Of the title, Lorde said " is the maiden of the dawn – goddess of new beginnings. She's the daughter of the sun. I welcome her at the end of the song."

Release

All proceeds from the release of the EP will be donated to two New Zealand charities, Forest and Bird and Te Hua Kawariki Charitable Trust. The EP was released on 9 September 2021, three days before Te Wiki o te Reo Māori / Māori Language Week.

Critical reception

Te Ao Mārama has been met with a range of responses including the artist's platform providing a wider audience for te reo Māori / Māori language, tokenism, and prompted discussion amongst ngā tangata Māori / Māori people around access to their language and the impact of colonisation on Māori language learners. In ''The Guardian'', University of Otago lecturer Morgan Godfery ( Te Pahipoto, Sāmoa) wrote that "like every other Māori person without their ancestral language, I yearn for te reo rangatira (the Māori language). I want the past it grants access to, and the shape it confers on my future and my partner's future and our child's future". Godfrey continued by saying that "it's vital that Pākehā speak it alongside us", and that "for that reason alone", ''Te Ao Mārama'' was a "pop culture landmark we should welcome".

Godfery noted concerns of tokenism, but ultimately concluded by remarking that "English is the first global language", and that "if the Māori language is to survive against it – and the forecasts are grim – we must allow non-Māori to speak and sing it. Children need a pop culture and a social media that speaks Māori. Lorde contributed to that, and under the direction and supervision of some of our greatest language champions. As a second language speaker I recognise that as a public good."

Jack Gray, a Māori dance performer and choreographer, wrote in ''The Big Idea'' that ''Te Ao Mārama'' was "tokenism in full force". Gray stated that "Lorde gets to manifest a vision that isn't hers. It's a collaboration in which her celebrity-tanga is the focal point. She will garner support from the masses. This album will cross boundaries and will gain new Māori listeners. People will justify her trying. Because a Pākeha who tries is far more deserving of support than a Māori who tries. Lorde will be understandably shitting her pants now because all she has to do is deliver the content that was spun for her. But she won't ever - ever - have to take anything on of the burden of Māoridom."

Track listing

Personnel

Musicians
* Lorde – vocals (all tracks), background vocals (4), DX7 (3)
* Jack Antonoff – bass, electric guitar (all tracks); acoustic guitar, drums, keyboards, percussion, programming (1, 2, 4, 5); Mellotron (1, 3, 4, 5), piano (1, 3, 4), Wurlitzer electric piano (1, 4), 12-string acoustic guitar (2, 4)
* Bic Runga – background vocals (1, 3, 5)
* Marlon Williams – background vocals (1, 3, 5)
* Matt Chamberlain – drums (1, 2, 5), programming (2)
* Evan Smith – flute, saxophone (1, 4, 5)
* Malay – bass (1, 4)
* Cole Kamen-Green – trumpet (2)
* Hana Mereraiha – background vocals (4, 5)
* Hinewehi Mohi – background vocals (4)
* Hēmi Kelly – background vocals (4, 5)

Technical
* Chris Gehringer – mastering
* Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (1, 2, 5)
* Jack Antonoff – mixing (3, 4)
* Laura Sisk – mixing (3, 4)
* Will Quinnell – mastering assistance
* Matt Wolach – mixing assistance (1, 2, 5)

Charts

Release history

References

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2021 EPs
Lorde EPs
Albums produced by Jack Antonoff
Albums produced by Malay (record producer)
Albums produced by Lorde
Charity albums
Māori-language albums