She’s young, from New Zealand and she’s been number one for weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. How is it that a non-American, teenage singer can topple the rest of the competition? Simple…she’s different and her song is about as far away as you can get from the other pop-tastic tunes that litter the Top 10.

When the majority of pop songs are over produced, over written and have elaborate, and sometimes shocking videos. Lorde’s Royals is so simple. She wrote it herself and the beat is uber-simplistic. Plus, the music video is as stripped down as you can get.

When you listen to the radio or your iPod or whatever, it’s amazing at how much the song sticks out because it doesn’t sound like everything else. Is it a good song? Sure, but it also immediately grabs your attention within the first 5 seconds because it’s so different. If Royals sounded like bubble gum pop, do you think it would have the power to stay at #1 for as long as it has or would it even hit #1? Maybe.

Being different matters in life, in music and in business. Why crowd yourself in a lane that’s already taken by your competition? Make an effort to be different. Try doing the exact opposite of what your competition is doing and you may find yourself on top of the charts. It worked for Lorde’s, so why can’t it work for you?