The first single from Lorde's second album Melodrama, "Green Light" finds her coping with her first real heartbreak, which clearly left a mark. She's trying to get the guy out of her mind, waiting for the metaphorical traffic light to change so she can get on with her life.

Lorde comes off a little unhinged on this song, blasting her ex for telling his new girl that he likes the beach, when she knows that's not true. A good Kiwi, she throws in a shark reference to make her point: Those great whites They have big teeth Hope they bite you As the song developed, it sounded almost joyful, which changed the song's direction. "I realized this is that drunk girl at the party dancing around crying about her ex-boyfriend who everyone thinks is a mess," she told Zane Lowe. "That's her tonight and tomorrow she starts to rebuild. And that's the song for me."

Lorde wrote and produced this song with Jack Antonoff of Bleachers and Fun. She enjoyed the process and felt comfortable opening up to him, which allowed her to put intimate details into her songs.