Lorde has said that “Loaded,” a 1990 hit by the British band Primal Scream, inspired her new single “Solar Power.” But now the estate of a late, legendary pop star has thanked Lorde for referencing his 1990 hit song in “Solar Power” — which she didn’t consciously intend to do.
The official website of George Michael, who died in 2016, posted a statement from his estate regarding perceived similarities between “Solar Power” and George’s 1990 top-10 hit, “Freedom ’90.”
“We are aware that many people are making a connection between ‘Freedom ’90’ by George Michael and ‘Solar Power’ by Lorde, which George would have been flattered to hear,” the statement reads. “So on behalf of one great artist to a fellow artist, we wish her every success with the single.”
After “Solar Power” was released, fans tweeted about the similarities, Billboard reports. One wrote, “so lorde’s new song is a love letter to george michael and it is v. good.” Another fan wrote, “started off the day w solar power and now i realize it sounds like freedom! ’90.”
But to clarify, according to Lorde, “Freedom ’90” was not an influence on the song. “Let the record state ‘Loaded’ is 100%, the original blueprint for this, but we arrived at it organically,” she told Apple Music.
“Loaded” and “Freedom ’90” sound slightly similar in their groove, piano riff and gospel feel, though “Loaded” came out several months earlier than “Freedom.”
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