'Royals' Singer Lorde Describes Herself As Having A Fearsome Reputation In 'Elle' Magazine

"Royals" singer Lorde is only 17 years old, but her confidence and talent is that of a much older artist. In her Elle magazine cover shoot, she explained that being a teenager doesn't mean you can't be taken seriously.

The New Zealand native has been turning out hits since she was 15 years old and she already knows that staying true to yourself is key in making it in the music industry.

"A lot of times when people meet me, they'll definitely try to make me feel young or inexperienced. Like, 'It's all taken care of,'" she told Elle in their October issue.

"Teenagers are such a discerning group of people. They'll immediately sniff out anything that feels contrived. I'm, like, constantly scanning myself to see if I'm some corporate executive version of a teenager," she added.

got to shoot with the coolest team in london. i'm PUMPED to share it all with you. for now, here's my favourite shot pic.twitter.com/JYawTpnWm3

— Lorde (@lordemusic) September 10, 2014

The Grammy-winning artist is fierce, has a great voice and isn't afraid to stand up for herself, which has gained her a reputation that she wears proudly.

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

Lorde revealed that by sharing her opinions she has been able to help others become stronger. "People have told me that I've helped them feel confident, like they can say things they want to say," she explained.

"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."

Even though the "Team" singer has strong opinions, she's learned that sometimes you have to think about how others might perceive them before sharing them. "I have such a strong idea of what is cool and great for me. If I think something is sh*t, I express that," the Elle cover girl revealed.

"But now the circle of people I work with all the time is huge and spans continents, and you have to be quite conscientious. So it's, like, learning not to hurt people's feelings," she added.

Lorde's issue of Elle goes on sale nationwide on Sept. 23.