Anyone I mention her to thinks she is 'a bit weird'. She does things differently, and that seems to be pretty cool these days. Whether you follow alternative music, or are a servant to the sacrosanct top 40, most people agree Lorde is queen. The performer lived up to her distinction when she brought her Melodrama World Tour to Kings Park Botanic Gardens over the weekend.

Her 90 minute set was indeed an emotional roller coaster accompanied by well-thought out video and vocal interludes, all the rage neons and recherché discussions. The 21 year old commanded the amphitheatre's attention for the duration of the set, unlike the opening act.

George Maple's performance was rather boring to my tastes and, in my opinion, not well suited to the surrounds. A few punters noted that Maple had simply reproduced her set list from Splendour in the Grass, which was not suitable to an evening on the green. Ms Maple was the sole performer on stage but performed to a comprehensive backing track for the majority of her songs. Perhaps the reliance on the backing track was a safety to alleviate her efforts in dancing. While she demonstrated strong vocal abilities, her voice wasn't distinct enough to carry a whole set; perhaps why she made a career as a feature artist. Maybe it was just my tastes, but by the 20 minute mark, I did notice a lot of patrons were more interested in the fireworks behind the stage than the actual performance. I went a little beyond that and had a disco nap on the grass.

After a brief interlude, Lorde took centre stage, playing songs from both her latest release Melodrama, and her debut Pure Heroine. Crowd favourites included 'Royals', 'Tennis Court', 'Perfect Places'. 'Supercut' and 'A World Alone', which she extended to allow herself to mingle with the crowd. A highlight of the show was when Lorde took to the xylophone to perform the introductory beats to 'Buzzcut Season'. The 21 year old impressed with a slightly alt stage performance, throwing in some fairly extra dance moves.

Lorde radiated a pure joy I had not seen in a performer in a very long time. She was charming and made the audience feel like they were part of something special. Although the three backing musicians (especially the live drummer) and two dancers were welcome additions, she had enough charisma to command the stage alone. This was most prevalent when she transformed the gardens into a sea of iPhone light with her acapella 'Liability'.

For so many adoring fans, this would be a night to remember.