Lorde's Comeback: Unpacking 'What Was That' and Its NYC Vibes
Four years is an eternity in pop music, but Lorde made her return feel worth the wait. With 'What Was That,' she's turned heads, fired up socials, and brought fans back to the core of her storytelling. The single marks her first solo drop since 2021’s 'Solar Power,' signaling a new chapter but with plenty of her signature introspection. The rollout wasn't just a typical midnight release; Lorde went full guerilla with surprise live appearances and mysterious teasers, pulling listeners right into her orbit from the jump.
The magic kicked off in April when Lorde turned Washington Square Park into her impromptu stage. The air felt electric as hundreds of fans crammed into the park, catching an off-the-cuff performance that was anything but ordinary. She played 'What Was That' live for the first time, which ended up being the wildest kind of viral moment—enough to get the police involved and force the event to a close. It didn’t feel staged or commercial; it just felt real, sweaty, and alive. The crowd sang along, phones in the air, capturing a bit of spontaneous music history right in downtown Manhattan. Much of that raw, street-level energy made its way into the official music video.
The Sound and Vision: Nostalgia, Grit, and Summer Heat
The track itself is a tight collaboration, with Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro at the production desk and Andrew Aged bringing moody guitar lines. Sonically, 'What Was That' pulls together synth-driven undercurrents and a groove that's somewhere between hazy summer daydream and late-night city pulse. Lyrically, Lorde explores the grey areas of fleeting relationships—the kind of encounters that leave a mark and never truly resolve. She throws in candid references to MDMA nights and tangled emotions, embracing the chaos that comes from connection and nostalgia.
Visually, the music video doesn't try to polish any edges. Lorde weaves through New York streets on a bike, skateboard, and just her own two feet, soaking up the summer afternoon sun. Street scenes blend into snippets from her surprise park show, giving the whole thing a feeling that's equal parts documentary and poetic snapshot. There’s sweat, laughter, and the nervous excitement of not knowing what comes next. For fans, it’s a reminder of her knack for mixing beauty and awkwardness—never shying away from the messy stuff.
Online, the response has been pure adrenaline. Longtime fans are picking apart every lyric, every frame, hungry for clues about her upcoming fourth album. New listeners are latching on to the track’s fresh but somehow familiar sound—a blend of the old Lorde and something bolder. The general vibe is clear: 'What Was That' isn’t just a song, it’s a signal that Lorde’s back, bringing stories that feel like they could be your own, just set to bigger, bolder music.
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