Lorde Wore Feminist Art to the Grammys

Last night, Lorde took statement dressing to new and literal heights at a particularly political Grammy awards. Skipping the red carpet--where she surely would have been questioned about #MeToo, and the prevailing story that she, the only female musician nominated for Album of the Year, was not invited by the Recording Academy to perform her own work—Lorde chose to brandish a statement of her own on the bodice of her Valentino gown in the house’s signature red.

If you are not Best New Artist winner, Alessia Cara, who was seated behind Lorde and Jack Antonoff at the 60th annual awards show, you may not have had the enlightened experience of reading artist Jenny Holzer’s Untitled (Rejoice!), from Inflammatory Essays, 1979/82 which Lorde transcribed in her own hand and stitched with red thread to her back.

Here it is below (because every Monday should start with a patriarchal take down):

“Rejoice! Our times are intolerable. Take courage, for the worst is a harbinger of the best. Only dire circumstance can precipitate the overthrow of oppressors. The old and corrupt must be laid to waste before the just can triumph. Contradiction will be heightened. The reckoning will be hastened by the staging of seed disturbances. The apocalypse will blossom.”