Who is Lorde? Lorde is a pop singer from New Zealand whose hit “Royals” topped the Billboard charts, beating out Katy Perry’s “Roar” and Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” for the number one slot. Amazingly, Lorde is just 16-years-old, and “Royals” makes her the youngest person to reach number one in America since Tiffany, who scored big with “I Think We’re Alone Now” in 1987. Lorde wasn’t even alive in 1987, but her youth is no detriment. In 2012, she dropped the EP “The Love Club,” and in September 2013, she released her debut album, “Pure Heroine,” which reached No. 1 in both Australia and her native New Zealand.

MUST SEE: Lorde Performs “Royals” On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon [VIDEO]

But who is Lorde, other than the bane of Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus’ existence? (Actually, Cyrus has tweeted about liking her music.) Lorde was born Ella Yelich-O’Connor in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1996. Her dad is a civil engineer, her mother is a poet, and she has three siblings, ABC News reports. Lorde is a singer with wide-ranging tastes, and she’s more than your average pop singer.

She digs everyone from Drake to the Rolling Stones, and she’s tweeted her admiration for underground U.K. fave King Krule. Her song “Royals” didn’t just hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100, but it also topped the Alternative chart, making her the first female in 17 years to achieve that feat.

“Who is Lorde?” is a question the New York post answers with “the anti-Miley,” as she relies more on soulful vocals and actual talent than the kind of blatant sexual maneuvering Cyrus has employed in recent months. “Culturally, Lorde is hitting a chord,” Jason Flom, who signed the singer to Lava Records, told the Post. “People are hungry for something different.”