hard feelings and the loveless Scorpio
revisiting four modern classics this Scorpio szn
I’m not big on astrology, but people love to remind me of the worst traits of Scorpios when they find out I’m one. Apparently, we’re obsessive, intense, and prone to jealousy. I guess there’s some truth to that—I do see myself as a passionate person who feel things deeply.
Years ago, I was listening to Lorde’s Melodrama when “Hard Feelings/Loveless” came on, a song where she mourns the end of a relationship. “Three years, loved you every single day, made me weak, it was real for me,” she sings. That line hit me hard and I wondered: Is Lorde a Scorpio too?
Well, I was right. This sent me down a rabbit hole, and as I was analyzing other Scorpio artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, SZA, and Frank Ocean, I noticed a similarity between them that felt like divine fate.
Known for their intense explorations of the joys and pains of love, these singer-songwriters became critics’ darlings in their own right after releasing some of the most acclaimed albums of the mid-2010s. Despite their success, they’ve all maintained a strong indie cred and a cool factor that many mainstream artists can only dream of.
In this piece, I want to explore these four artists, their respective lovesick masterpieces, and the cosmic connection that brings them together.
E•MO•TION
Released: June 24, 2015
Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 2010s rank: #47
Pitchfork’s Best Songs of the 2010s rank: #36 (“Run Away with Me”)
As the “Call Me Maybe” checks dried up, Carly Rae Jepsen found herself at a crossroads—stay in her bubblegum pop lane, or do something completely different. She chose the latter and made a “folk indie” record to rebel against music execs, but later scraped it for its inauthenticity. Following her instincts, she made a record true to her, and the result was E•MO•TION, a glossy ‘80s-inspired love letter to pop music.
Though the album didn’t light up the charts, it was a cult favorite amongst music fans, even converting Fantano indie bros into lovers of Carly’s unapologetic girly brand. Riding the wave of 2010s poptimism, Carly’s style of pop feels timeless in a way that music snobs can get behind, especially in contrast with other artists chasing EDM and tropical pop trends at that time. Some might even argue that E•MO•TION was a more sincere homage to the ‘80s than 1989.
The album’s appeal goes beyond funky ‘80s synths for me. Its outlook on modern love—while simpler than the other albums on this list—is universally relatable. Carly navigates romantic highs and lows with full passion; be it the euphoric opener “Run Away with Me” or the aching ballad “All That,” she pours her heart out onto every track.
“Let down my guard tonight, I just don’t care anymore,” Carly sings on “Warm Blood,” embodying both the mysterious and intense nature of Scorpios in love. That secretive allure and willingness to bare it all, even at the cost of getting hurt, is what makes E•MO•TION feel so special and intimate, even nearly a decade later.
Standout tracks: “Run Away with Me,” “All That,” “Let’s Get Lost,” “Your Type”
BLONDE
Released: August 20, 2016
Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 2010s rank: #1
Pitchfork’s Best Songs of the 2010s rank: #40 (“Nights”)
No album radiates Scorpio energy quite like Frank Ocean’s Blonde—it’s moody, secretive, and deeply introspective. Released in 2016, it pioneered a unique experimental R&B sound that’s now a blueprint for artists like Daniel Caesar and Kevin Abstract.
Blonde requires careful attention to uncover its meandering stories that lie beneath its hazy soundscapes. No doubt, it’s hard to fully grasp the album’s emotional weight on first listen, especially when many songs are devoid of catchy melodies to latch onto. The album feels like a stream of unfiltered internal monologue, with Frank divulging his insecurities on his own terms.
On “Seigfried,” Frank sings about wanting stability while fearing it at the same time, echoing Scorpios’ initial fear of intimacy in a relationship. By the outro, overlapping voices echo “I’d do anything for you in the dark” over and over in a haunting manner. There’s no turning back now; obsession has taken over.
Blonde captures the tension between who we are and who we want to be. It’s a celebration of life and all the poetic highs that we indulge ourselves in, all while carrying the weight of the anxieties that come with them.
Standout tracks: “Pink + White,” “Self Control,” “Nights,” “Godspeed”
CTRL
Released: June 9, 2017
Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 2010s rank: #24
Pitchfork’s Best Songs of the 2010s rank: #43 (“The Weekend”)
Perhaps one of the first noticeable signs of Frank Ocean’s impact lies in SZA herself, when she released her alternative R&B debut album Ctrl in 2017. With her candid songwriting style and a sprawling exploration of modern romance, Ctrl was met with massive critical acclaim. Tracks like “The Weekend” explore unorthodox narratives of obsession and jealousy in a relationship, where she sings about having to share her partner with other women.
On “Garden (Say It Like Dat),” SZA emphasizes her enigmatic tendencies, confessing that she hopes her partner never discovers who she truly is. Throughout the album, she vacillates between hiding and revealing herself, embodying the self-protective nature of a Scorpio.
SZA also wrestles with control and pushes against societal expectations placed on women on “Normal Girl.” In many ways, I’ve always thought of Ctrl as the female Blonde. Much like how the latter deconstructs patriarchal norms from within, the former challenges it from the outside.
Ctrl is a testament to SZA’s pursuit of emotional growth. When the weight of adulthood becomes suffocating, she finds release in the raw expression of words. Through her songwriting, SZA constructs a safe space to sit with her fears.
Standout tracks: “Love Galore,” Drew Barrymore,” “Prom,” “The Weekend”
MELODRAMA
Released: June 16, 2017
Pitchfork’s Best Albums of the 2010s rank: #14
Pitchfork’s Best Songs of the 2010s rank: #43 (“The Louvre”)
Last but certainly not least, we have Melodrama—a record that resonates with me most deeply of all. In my opinion, it’s the album that best captures the beautiful chaos of adolescence and all the fears that run wild in our minds at such a delicate period in our lives.
Like Carly and Frank, Lorde faced enormous pressure following her mainstream breakthrough with Pure Heroine at just 16 years old. Instead of succumbing to demands, she chose to take her time, much like they did. While Melodrama was not met with the same commercial highs, it’s agreed amongst fans as Lorde’s magnum opus.
“In my head, I do everything right,” sums up the album pretty well. This is Lorde at her most vulnerable, unlike the know-it-all spirit of Pure Heroine or the self-assuredness of Solar Power. Lorde’s devastating one-liners slice deep into the messiness of youth, but it’s also Jack Antonoff’s bold production of clashing drums and pulsating synths that elevates this emotional journey we’re on. “I love you ‘til you call the cops on me,” she pleads on “Writer in the Dark.” There’s nothing more intense than a Scorpio in love.
Of course, as the stars would have it, Lorde cited Blonde as an inspiration for Melodrama. “In this sort of post-Blonde landscape, we can all sort of do whatever we want in terms of instrumentation,” she says in an interview. And let’s not forget Lorde’s cover of Carly’s “Run Away with Me” with Antonoff, as well as SZA’s feature on a remix of Lorde’s very own “Homemade Dynamite.” It all adds up.
Years after its release, I still find myself returning to Melodrama often, mainly because of the way it immortalizes the bittersweet emotions of those fleeting formative years that are now long gone.
Standout tracks: “The Louvre,” “Hard Feelings/Loveless,” “Supercut,” “Perfect Places”
These four artists have each left their mark by pouring their Scorpio heart into their music.
Whether it’s the rush of blossoming love, the sting of unrequited feelings, or the catharsis of letting go, there’s something here for listeners like me who crave emotional fulfillment when they put their headphones on.
After all, what’s music if you’re not feeling it?
Loved this - as someone with two Melodrama tattoos who is also a SZA + CRJ stan, this was right up my alley.
Loved this post! Such a cool concept and love examining astrology like this