Lorde, “No Better”

Lorde dropped this B-side on Beyday, which is a move akin to throwing yourself a surprise half-birthday party on the late afternoon of Christmas, but if you’ve been picking up what this girl’s been putting down, “No Better” is worth your attention: a woozy, throbbing bass wobble underneath pastel synth in a simple, New Order-ish A/B back-and-forth. I’m not such a fan of verses that run at this pace and monotony quotient — it always makes me think ’90s bubbledouche pop — but Lorde’s off-kilter lyricism is well intact here, your breath’s hot and gross but I kiss you like a lover, etc.