Lorde has shared “What Was That,” her first unique solo observe since releasing Photo voltaic Energy in 2021. The one was teased by a sequence of cryptic social media posts, voice notes, and audio snippets, and Talia Chetrit shot the quilt artwork. Watch the brand new tune’s video beneath.
“What Was That” obtained its dwell debut on Tuesday when Lorde sang alongside to the observe at New York’s Washington Sq. Park whereas taking part in the tune on a small speaker. Hours earlier, the New Zealand pop star despatched a mass message by way of her fan textual content line that she would seem there: “Meet me within the park Tonight 7pm – x x.” Native police and park rangers rapidly shut down the occasion, nonetheless, attributable to an unmanageable crowd measurement. Footage from the occasion is featured within the new video.
Lorde co-wrote “What Was That” with Jim-E Stack, and he or she co-produced it with Jim-E Stack and Daniel Nigro. Jim-E Stack additionally supplied drums, keyboards, piano, synthesizer, and engineering, whereas Nigro contributed bass and electrical guitar, piano, synthesizer, and engineering. One other notable electrical guitarist on the observe is Inc. No World’s Andrew Aged.
Photo voltaic Energy, the extremely anticipated follow-up to Lorde’s 2018 album Melodrama, was led by the singles “Photo voltaic Energy,” “Stoned on the Nail Salon,” and “Temper Ring.” A majority of songs from the file finally obtained music movies, together with “Fallen Fruit,” “Chief of a New Regime,” “Secrets and techniques From a Lady (Who’s Seen It All),” “The Path,” and “Oceanic Feeling.”
Lorde stayed quiet over the subsequent couple of years, popping as much as be part of Muna onstage at New York’s Terminal 5 in 2023 and contribute a canopy of “Take Me to The River” to A24’s Speaking Heads tribute album in 2024. Then, final summer time, she was tapped by Charli XCX for a remix of the Brat observe “Lady, So Complicated,” all however confirming her because the tune’s unique topic. They’ve since carried out “Lady, So Complicated That includes Lorde” collectively at Charli XCX’s Madison Sq. Backyard live performance and, earlier this month, her Coachella weekend one set.
Examine Lorde in “The 200 Most Vital Artists of Pitchfork’s First 25 Years,” and revisit “The 100 Greatest Songs of 2024,” that includes “Lady, So Complicated That includes Lorde” at No. 9.
