Perform 'Royals'
Learn and perform the song "Royals" by practicing singing, stage presence, simple choreography, and using a backing track or karaoke for a confident live performance.
About this activity
Learn and perform the song "Royals" by practicing singing, stage presence, simple choreography, and using a backing track or karaoke for a confident live performance.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Choose a quiet open space where you can move and sing without interruptions.
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Step 2
Put your lyrics sheet and backing track where you can easily see and play them and place the mirror so you can see yourself.
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Step 3
Do a two-minute vocal warm-up by humming gently and sliding your voice up and down once.
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Step 4
Read the lyrics slowly out loud to understand the words and the story of the song.
- 5
Step 5
Use your pencil to mark where to breathe and any words you want to emphasize on the lyrics sheet.
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Step 6
Listen to the backing track two times to learn the tempo and where each chorus and verse starts.
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Step 7
Sing along softly with the backing track focusing on staying in tune with the melody.
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Step 8
Stand in front of the mirror and practice one or two facial expressions and eye movements for the chorus.
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Step 9
Create two simple choreography moves for the chorus and practice them slowly to counts.
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Step 10
Put your choreography and stage expressions together and sing the full song once with the backing track.
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Step 11
Do two dress rehearsals wearing your prop or costume piece and perform the whole song confidently each time.
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Step 12
Share your finished performance on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do I teach my child to learn and perform "Royals" by Lorde?
Start by listening to the song together to learn its structure, then break it into short sections for practice. Teach a simple vocal warm-up and work on clear enunciation and breathing. Add basic stage presence: eye contact, posture, and slow hand gestures. Introduce easy choreography—small, repeatable moves—and practice with a backing track or karaoke version. Do full run-throughs, give positive feedback, and build confidence with short, frequent rehearsals.
What materials do I need to help my child perform "Royals"?
You’ll need a legally obtained backing track or karaoke version, a smartphone or speaker for playback, and a microphone or toy mic for fun. Provide space to move, a simple costume or prop for confidence, and a notebook or printed sheet with the song sections (not full lyrics if sharing publicly). A recording device helps review practice. Optional items: metronome or tempo app and a small stage area or marked floor space.
What ages is performing "Royals" suitable for children?
This activity works well for ages about 6–16, adapted to ability. Younger children (6–8) can learn a simplified, age-appropriate version with basic choreography and parental guidance. Older kids and teens can handle full phrasing, stage presence, and more polished movement. Always consider vocal maturity and attention span—short, regular sessions suit younger children, while teens can rehearse longer and refine performance details.
What are the benefits and safety tips for children learning and performing "Royals"?
Benefits include improved breathing, pitch control, memory, stage confidence, and teamwork if practicing with friends. It boosts communication and creative expression. For safety, ensure vocal warm-ups, limit rehearsal length to prevent strain, provide water, and keep volume at safe levels. Use age-appropriate language and a clean backing track if needed. Variations include duet, group performance, lip-sync, or simplified choreography to match skill level.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have a mirror, printed lyrics sheet, or a pencil?
Use a phone or tablet front-facing camera as your mirror, display the lyrics on the device and mark breaths and emphasis with removable sticky notes or an erasable highlighter instead of a pencil.
If my child keeps going off-key or can't hear the backing track, how can we fix it?
Lower the backing track volume or use headphones so they can hear the melody clearly, repeat the two-minute humming warm-up and sing along softly while marking tricky spots on the lyrics sheet to practice staying in tune.
How should this activity be adapted for younger kids or older kids?
For younger children, shorten the warm-up to 30 seconds, focus on the chorus and one simple choreography move counted slowly, while older kids can extend the two-minute warm-up, add harmony lines, and create more complex choreography and stage expressions during the two dress rehearsals.
How can we make the performance more creative or personal before sharing on DIY.org?
Add a simple prop or costume piece from home, record a dress rehearsal on a phone to trim or add captions, and personalize choreography and facial expressions in front of the mirror before uploading to DIY.org.