1 Lorde - Royals 1.0000
2 Katy Perry - Roar 0.6063
3 Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball 0.5903

That lead.

Also #1 on the Hot 100.

And it's only had one minor TV performance.

What did "Royals" have that Lana's music didn't?

I really don't know, "Born To Die" is as good as "Royals" imo

It was just a really hyped up single. Nothing more, nothing less.

the good beat

It is more relatable and seems less fake. Pretty simple.

Born To Die (the song) is better so idk what happened there.

imo her voice is a lot more welcoming than lana's

born to die is a masterpiece but I can't deny that it makes me want to deepthroat a bottle of pills

It's overplayed by radio stations!!

I think the new generation of teens can relate more to Lorde's lyrics and simple appeal than Lana's more dramatic, artsy approach. Lorde talks a lot about real life situations in her lyrics. Things like parties, hanging out, dating, friendships meanwhile Lana is more romantic.

Different music, by different artist.

More bandwagoners.

Obama and his economy

It uses dynamics, pleasant chords, a catchier melody, and better lyrics.

Not on ATRL.

Royals is better and catchier than any Lana song, so that helps. Lorde is also just more interesting as an artist.