10 songs that feel like Royals
Matched to Royals by Lorde on how the music actually moves — intensity, dynamic swing, texture, tempo — not by genre tag. Here's what makes each one a match.
A 95% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and runs a little hotter at 31/100.
94% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (28/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same calm pull — runs a little hotter at 32/100. Measured 93% alike. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).
Measures 95% the same. It lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Same smooth texture.
A 92% feel-match — carries the same calm pull and runs a little hotter at 33/100. Nearly the same tempo, too (90 BPM).
99% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it lands at almost exactly the same energy (25/100). Same smooth texture.
Keeps the same calm pull — runs a little hotter at 31/100. Measured 95% alike.
Measures 91% the same. It runs a little hotter at 34/100. Same smooth texture.
A 96% feel-match — carries the same contemplative pull and lands at almost exactly the same energy (29/100). Nearly the same tempo, too (88 BPM).
91% match across our 8 measured dimensions; it runs a little hotter at 33/100. Same smooth texture.
…and if you want it calmer
Same feeling, measured gentler — for when Royals is more than you want right now.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but it stays in our safe band start to finish. Intensity 31/100, down from 25. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 20/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 21/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while it stays in our safe band start to finish. 32/100, versus the original's 25. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Keeps the same feel of the original, but nothing in it lurches or startles. Intensity 21/100, down from 25. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Nothing in it lurches or startles, so it lands at 26/100 — the pull without the edge. Nearly the same tempo, too.
If it's the same feel you're after, this delivers it while nothing in it lurches or startles. Reads 20/100. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Holds the same feel while nothing in it lurches or startles. 20/100, versus the original's 25. Nearly the same tempo, too.
Frequently asked
What songs sound like “Royals” by Lorde?
The closest feel-matches we measure are “I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)” by Hall and Oates, “Never Run Away” by Kurt Vile, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” by Gil Scott-Heron — the top match scores 95% alike. Matching is by how the songs actually move (intensity, dynamic range, texture, tempo, predictability, vocal force), not by genre tag or popularity.
What songs are like “Royals” but calmer?
“Sæglópur” by Sigur Rós, “Don't Know Why” by Norah Jones, “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor keep a similar feel while measuring gentler — lower dynamic swing, fewer sudden shifts, or a calmer overall level.
How intense is “Royals”?
It measures 25/100 on our intensity scale, computed from a dynamic range of 4/10, smooth texture, mild sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Tempo is 85 BPM.
How do you decide which songs are similar?
Every song in our catalog is measured on 8 dimensions — intensity, dynamic range, tempo, sudden changes, texture, predictability, vocal force and fine sound detail. Similarity is the distance between two songs across those measurements, so matches cross genres and eras. Shared mood tags break ties.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 84% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 25/100 comes from a dynamic range of 4/10, smooth texture, mild shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 97% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
2013 in context
The 408 songs we’ve measured from 2013 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 4/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Want the single closest match, with every dimension compared?
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