Lorde, the uber talented young musician from New Zealand, always seems to be refreshingly candid about herself. That was certainly the case during an interview that appears in Time.
Confessing to deep stage fright surrounding her recent performance at the Coachella music festival, Lorde said:
“Ten minutes beforehand I was like, ‘I can’t do it. Give them back their money. So sorry. It was too much for me.”
Lorde then added some revealing information about how she deals with her nervous and the consequences.
“A shot of whiskey and a beta blocker, and it all happens for me. But I’m a shell of a person after. I need to sit alone and watch a cooking show.”
A shot of whiskey and a beta blocker, and it all happens for me. But I’m a shell of a person after.Lorde
Fazed
A little later in the interview, Lorde says something fascinating:
“When I was 16, it felt important to be unfazed by things. Now I’m deeply fazed.”
What a tremendous word, fazed. That’s at the heart of stage fright, being fazed by the threat that a performer faces in front of an audience.
Stage fright occurs when three factors are at play:
Typically, the threat is a true one and represents a deep danger. With Lorde, it’s clear that she worries deeply about not living up to her fans’ expectations.