I have a 'fearsome reputation': Lorde

Lorde claims she has developed "a fearsome reputation."

The 17-year-old singer has learned to stand up for herself in the music industry and admits people are often surprised by her attitude because she is so young.

"A lot of times when people meet me, they'll definitely try to make me feel young or experienced. Teenagers are such a discerning group of people. They'll immediately sniff out anything that feels contrived," she told Elle magazine.

"I've developed something of a fearsome reputation. People know that if you talk down to me, I will roll my eyes or whatever."

The New Zealand native says the positive feedback she receives from her fans inspires her to be more outspoken.

"People have told me that I've helped them feel confident, like they can say things they want to say," she said.

"They can talk about feminism in class without people calling them a lesbian. That's so amazing that I can make someone feel like that."

The Team singer is currently working on her second album and recently admitted some of her new tracks are "weird."

"I'm definitely writing new stuff. I don't know how everything will end up," she said.

"The first period of writing after you have recorded an album, it all sounds like the album before it.

"I'm trying to get that out of my system and move it to a new place. But I've been writing with some good people and just doing weird, cool stuff - which is always good for being creative."