Rolling Stone cover for New Zealand teenager Lorde

THE "unlikeliest superstar in pop'' can now tick off another music industry achievement - the cover of music bible Rolling Stone magazine.

Unlikely pop star ... Lorde has taken the musical world by storm. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

CHART-TOPPING New Zealand teen singing sensation Lorde can now tick off another music industry achievement - the cover of music bible Rolling Stone magazine.

The Auckland 17-year-old, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, is described by the magazine as the "unlikeliest superstar in pop''.

She tweeted on Thursday: "I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life. this month's rolling stone cover girl'' adding a picture of her on the cover.

i have to keep reminding myself that this is my life. this month's rolling stone cover girl: yours truly pic.twitter.com/ARK27xadsy

— Lorde (@lordemusic) January 15, 2014

Lorde is pictured on the cover wearing a T-shirt of rockabilly punk band The Cramps, and the magazine looks at her childhood, how her single Royals became such a hit and how she has become an icon for teenage girls.

The young Kiwi spent nine weeks at the top of the US Hot 100 Billboard chart last year and will perform at this month's Grammys, where she is up for four awards.

But she told Rolling Stone contributing editor Rob Tannenbaum, who interviewed her in Auckland, how she suffers from nerves.
"I get paralysingly nervous a lot of times, so I tried bravado,'' going on to say that her demeanour can be daunting for some.

"The way I dress and carry myself, a lot of people find it intimidating. I think my whole career can be boiled down to the one word I always say in meetings: strength.''

Lorde has also appeared on top-rating US shows Ellen, Letterman and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon but appears largely ambivalent to her fame.

The magazine hits newsstands in the United States on Friday.

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