Lorde Channels ‘The Craft’ on Dazed Magazine Cover

Is there anyone cooler in current mainstream pop music than Lorde? The New Zealand native probably wouldn't ascribe that qualifier to herself, which makes us even more certain that she's the type of effortless personality we always wanted to be in high school. And with the release of Dazed magazine's second annual Girls Who Rule the World issue, no other pop star makes more sense to put on the cover than Lorde.

The cover photo, shot by Ryan McGinley, sees Lorde standing in a heavily wooded area, with her arms stretched out like she's casting a spell. Wearing a long black coat and dress, Lorde looks every part the modern-day version of The Craft that we hope to see with Hollywood's upcoming remake. On anyone else, the witchy, '90s goth-lite look would probably appear contrived, try-hard, too much. (Maybe we're projecting a little, here.) But with Lorde, it all feels so very sincere.

Firmly cementing her status as (dare we say it again?) the coolest, she told Dazed, "I came into this with such a strong viewpoint–even when I was 13 or 14, my sense of self felt too permanent for anyone to f--- with." If only all young people could be so self-assured.

Lorde was interviewed for the magazine by Lena Dunham, and the issue also features hip hop’s Dej Loaf, Timbaland's up-and-coming protege Tink, Hari Nef, Collier Schorr, and actress Jessica Lange. You can check it out on newsstands now.

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