Lorde’s Boyfriend Talks Fame & Living The “Royal” Life

Fame is a double-edged sword. Some live for it (hello, Lady Gaga), some are haunted by it (again, hey, Lady Gaga), and others — whether by fate or careful calculation — either wake up to find their name in lights or blacked out in darkness.

By now, Ella Yelich-O’Connor's success under the moniker Lorde has earned her more praise and fame than most 17-year-olds (let alone adults) could imagine. Her life is, understandably, way different than it was back in New Zealand. And, not just her own life, but the lives of those close to her.

In an open letter posted on his blog, Lorde's boyfriend, James K Lowe, reflects on this very (sur)real experience. Just like Lorde, his post-"Royals" life is more public and he too is feeling more praise and ridicule than ever before. "My life is probably a lot different now," Lowe writes, "but it feels normal on the inside."

Not all the differences are positive: Lowe reflects on paparazzi shoves, Internet trolls, and the objectification one deals with once a certain level of fame is achieved. "Jared Leto said that fame doesn’t change you, it changes everyone around you," Lowe writes. That's not something you hear everyday from a spotlit person's mouth, but Lowe seems to take it in stride. His letter acts as an extension of the role his girlfriend has made for herself in the world of fame. It's not anti-pop, it's transparent pop. He's not holding a mirror to the world, he's holding a window into his — which just so happens to feature one of today's brightest stars. (Ono Field)