Exploring synaesthesia - see sounds, taste colours, smell words

Few of us had heard of synaesthesia until Lorde announced she has sees colours whenever she hears a musical note. Naomi Lavelle explores the phenomenon

Lorde has recently raised awareness of synaesthesia, and how it inspired her new album ‘Melodrama’. She’s told of how, when she plays a note on a keyboard, a particular colour flashes into her mind. My son sees music in colour too. Until last week he never even thought to mention it. Then he learned about synaesthesia in school and realised that not everyone perceived sound as he does.