Lorde Reigns Supreme As Our Woman Crush Wednesday

From New Zealand teenager to worldwide superstar, Lorde has become somewhat of an overnight sensation. And she's done it all on her own.

Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor, or simply Lorde, comes to us from Auckland, New Zealand. She chose her stage name due to her obsession with royals. However, Lord seemed too masculine for her, so she added the 'e' to feminize it.

Born November 7, 1996, Lorde took part in singing and drama classes as a child before signing with Universal Music Group at the ripe old age of 13.

Her Way or the Highway

Lorde has marketed herself every step of the way. Before signing with Universal, she posted her music to SoundClound. The main goal was to gain exposure and worry about the money portion later.

Her EP, The Love Club, racked up 60,000 free downloads. Finding her niche, she declined an invitation to tour with Katy Perry as an opening act for her world tour.

Gabriel Olsen/Stringer, Getty Images

Songwriting has always come easy to Lorde. This may be due in part to her mother being a poet. The other side of the music business, however, not so much.

She needed help with producing her music. It wasn't until she connected with writer and producer Joel Little that she saw success. Within one week of the two working together, they had put together three songs, including "Royals."

Her debut album, Pure Heroine, came out September 2013. Released a month prior, "Royals" quickly reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first New Zealand solo artist to have a number one song in the United States.

"Royals" won Lorde two Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. She was nominated for four awards.

Miss Royals is expected to do a short US tour in March. Here's where you can see her in Texas:

March 4, 2014: South Side Ballroom - Dallas, Texas
March 5, 2014: Bayou Music Center - Houston, Texas

Personal Life

Lorde is rumored to be dating 24-year-old New Zealand-born photographer James Lowe. Although she doesn't like to discuss her personal life, she said the two spend a lot of time together. She raves about the positivity Lowe brings to her life.