Royals (arr. Craig McLeish): SSA Choral Octavo

Craig McLeish's arrangement captures the song's hypnotic quality while making it accessible for developing singers. The SSA voicing sits naturally in comfortable ranges, and the understated harmonic language mirrors the original's refusal to oversell itself, giving your singers a chance to work on nuance and control rather than belting.

Cool, observant, and deliberately sparse. The arrangement mirrors the original's minimalist production, creating space for lyrics about class and belonging to land with clarity. There's a wry confidence here, not desperation.

Choirs seeking contemporary repertoire that challenges singers to work with restraint and nuance. The accessible range and straightforward voicing work well for middle school through adult ensembles looking to add current pop music without oversimplifying the arrangement.

• Anchor the groove in the rhythm section parts. The song's power comes from restraint, so resist the urge to add dynamics early. Let the singers discover where intensity actually serves the text.
• Keep the soprano line conversational rather than soaring. Lorde's delivery is intimate and skeptical, not triumphant, so shape phrasing around the lyrical content rather than musical climaxes.
• Balance alto and soprano carefully in sections where they double. These voices should feel like one color commenting on the action, not competing elements.

Pair this with other contemporary pop arrangements to demonstrate how modern songwriting can coexist with classical repertoire in a concert. Its relatively short duration and five-page length make it ideal as a second-half opener that shifts the energy without derailing pacing.

• Singing with intentional understatement and control
• Balancing unison and harmony in contemporary voicing
• Text interpretation in conversational, non-operatic contexts
• Rhythmic precision in groove-based accompaniment