Lorde’s New Single Out Soon

Lorde, the enigmatic New Zealand pop sensation, has once again captured the music world's attention with the announcement of her new single “What Was That.” Set to release soon, this marks her first solo release in four years. Fans have been eagerly awaiting new music since her last album, Solar Power, was dropped in 2021. Lorde recently ramped up anticipation by sharing a snippet of the new song on TikTok, a platform she has rarely used. You can pre-save her new single here.

The announcement comes after Lorde's strategic disappearance from social media platforms, during which she wiped her Instagram account and posted a lone photo suggesting a new beginning. The image, shot by Talia Chetrit, shows Lorde staring directly into the camera, water running down her face, in a striking red T-shirt. In the lead-up to the announcement, her website was also wiped clean, leading to rumors of a rebranding or a fresh artistic direction. These actions are not uncommon for Lorde, who previously signaled new projects with dramatic gestures and cryptic teases, keeping her audience on edge.

Lorde has not entirely been absent from the music scene, however. In the time since Solar Power, she has collaborated with artists such as Charli XCX on the remix “Girl, so Confusing” and joined Marlon Williams on “Kāhore He Manu E.” She even performed with Charli XCX during her Coachella set, hinting at an ongoing partnership that might continue into her forthcoming projects. These efforts have maintained Lorde's presence in the industry while fueling excitement for her solo ventures.

While details about her rumored fourth studio album, currently called L4 by fans and media, remain sparse, industry whispers suggest that it could be slated for a 2025 release. Lorde's past work suggests a connection between her album releases and her personal growth, with each new project reflecting another year or era of her life. The anticipation for L4 is heightened by Lorde's collaborative efforts with notable producers and artists such as Jim-E Stack and potentially Dev Hynes, suggesting a fresh, perhaps more experimental, sound for the singer.

In an interview earlier this year with Ensemble Magazine, Lorde admitted to taking her time with the new album, stating, “I do a lot of research, I write a lot down… It’s been super exciting and I feel excited about what’s coming.” With such meticulous preparation, the upcoming release is expected to showcase her continued evolution as an artist, staying true to the thoughtful and innovative style that turned heads with her 2013 debut, Pure Heroine, and continued with 2017's Melodrama.

The excitement surrounding “What Was That” and the anticipation of L4 are further fueled by Lorde's history of crafting deeply personal music that resonates widely. As she ventures into this next chapter, fans can look forward to another layer of her introspective storytelling, enveloped in sonic landscapes that defy the conventional. The lead-up to the single's release has already proven successful in reestablishing Lorde's relevance in a rapidly changing music industry, demonstrating once again her unique ability to captivate and keep listeners guessing. As such, this new era is set to solidify her position as a formidable force in pop music.