Lorde’s Latest Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Track Is Here

I think we can all agree that Lorde is killing it with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack, bringing out her own jams as well as some from CHVRCHES, Tove Lo, and Bat for Lashes. To add to all of that, the 18-year old just released another track—a Bright Eyes cover. Originally released in 2011, "Ladder Song" is a perfect fit for the film, and an even more perfect fit for Lorde, as it's ripe with despondent, angsty lyrics, and a chillingly quiet background melody. We didn’t think of it before, but the girl who took minimalist pop mainstream and the emo rock band were actually meant for each other all along.

In her version of “Ladder Song,” Lorde switches out the delicate piano playing that’s very characteristic of Bright Eyes for a synthy organ. But with lyrics like “You’re not alone in anything/You’re not unique in dying” and “Welcome to the new age/Covered in warrior paint,” the song almost sounds like it could have been written by Lorde herself, or even could have been written about The Hunger Games, which is why it works so well. It’s haunting, references both an internal and external war, and gives us all the feels. We imagine she lent this song to a particularly emotionally heavy scene in the film, and we’re already stocking up on tissues for it.