In a surprising move that sent shockwaves through the music industry last month, Lorde emerged from her creative hibernation with “What Was That,” the lead single from her highly anticipated fourth studio album, Virgin. After nearly three years of silence following 2021’s critically acclaimed Solar Power, the New Zealand singer-songwriter has unveiled what might be her most daring sonic and aesthetic transformation yet.
“What Was That”: A Bold, New Era
“What Was That” announces itself with pulsing, industrial-tinged synths before blooming into what can only be described as a controlled chaos of electronic-pop textures. Gone are the sun-dappled guitars of Solar Power and the maximalist pop production of Melodrama. In their place is something altogether more experimental… a track that feels both futuristic and primordial.
Lorde’s voice, always her most potent instrument, takes on new dimensions here. She alternates between a haunting chorus and spoken-esque pre-choruses that recall the confessional intimacy of Pure Heroine but with a newfound edge.
Production credits reveal collaborations with prominent producers Dan Nigro (Caroline Polachek, Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan) and Jim-E Stack (Bon Iver, HAIM, Dominic Fike), creating a soundscape that feels like territory no mainstream pop artist has quite explored before.
The Visual Rebrand
The visual aesthetics accompanying “What Was That” represents perhaps the most dramatic transformation in Lorde’s career. Gone is the beach-dwelling earth goddess of the Solar Power era, replaced by Lorde draped in a minimalistic white shirt and jeans that simultaneously evokes purity and clinical sterility.
In the music video, directed by New York based photographer Talia Chetrit, Lorde’s surprise appearance in Washington Square Park was immortalized by clips of the singer roaming in the city and lip syncing to the track. The visual language establishes what appears to be the central theme of this era: to roam freely in all the rage and joy, and explore purity as both a construct to be questioned and a state to be reclaimed.
Virgin: What We Know About the Album
While details remain carefully guarded, Virgin is set for release on June 27.
The response to “What Was That” has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic across major music publications. Rolling Stone declared,
“Get ready, Lorde season is here,”
while Variety proclaimed,
“Pull back the curtains to Lorde summer.”
The anticipation surrounding her return was captured perfectly by ELLE, which noted,
“The hunger for new Lorde music is wilder than ever.”
The unified positive reception signals that this might be Lorde’s most universally acclaimed reinvention yet, even as the sound pushes into new territory.
What’s Next
Whatever one makes of this new direction, it’s clear that Lorde continues to operate on her own terms, defying expectations and commercial pressures to pursue her artistic vision. “What Was That” marks not just a new single but the opening of an entirely new chapter for an artist who has consistently refused to repeat herself. Whether this reinvention will captivate even wider audiences than before seems inevitable, but one thing is certain: Lorde is back, and she’s ready to transform the musical landscape once again with her boundless creativity and artistic vision.