Lorde

Lorde surfaced as an inscrutable talent from her homeland of New Zealand, merging introspective, word-rich compositions with electronic textures and psych-pop refrains. Public awareness ignited in 2013 upon the release of “Royals” together with the worldwide breakthrough debut Pure Heroine, after which the singer/songwriter secured admiration spanning age groups, including nods from Bruce Springsteen and Jack White—each of whom recorded their own versions of “Royals”—while also becoming a touchstone for listeners who sense a maturity beyond their chronological years, an aesthetic that later influenced the introspective, self-revealing indie-pop approach of Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Troye Sivan. Her second album, 2017’s Melodrama, reached the summit of charts across several nations, earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, and captured New Zealand’s Album of the Year prize. Following another extended hiatus, Lorde resurfaced in 2021 with Solar Power, her third full-length project, characterized by a relaxed tone and environmental themes. She has continued to function as a cultural reference point, whether honoring New Zealand’s indigenous Māori community through the Te Ao Mārama EP or teaming with pop innovator Charli XCX for the 2024 Brat remix of “Girl, So Confusing.”

Ella Yelich-O’Connor entered the world on November 7, 1996, in Takapuna, New Zealand, and began exploring artistic pursuits while still very young. Entering her teenage years, she formed a duo with schoolmate Louis McDonald and claimed first place in a talent competition held at Belmont Intermediate School in May 2009. The pair soon appeared on Radio New Zealand’s Afternoons program presented by Jim Mora; a recording of that broadcast, forwarded by McDonald’s father to Universal, prompted the label to offer Lorde a development contract. She balanced classroom obligations with performances alongside McDonald throughout 2010, yet 2011 marked a shift toward greater professional focus. Universal paired the vocalist with coach Frances Dickinson, and together they began crafting original material, frequently aided by additional writers, until A&R executive Scott MacLachlan connected her with Joel Little. The ex–Goodnight Nurse frontman became an effective partner, and the two completed the Love Club EP, which surfaced on SoundCloud in November 2012.

Rapid listener interest led Universal to issue Love Club commercially in March 2013, where it climbed to number two on both the New Zealand and Australia charts. Momentum stemmed chiefly from “Royals,” issued as a single during summer 2013; the track soon dominated charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy while landing inside the top ten throughout most other Western territories. Pure Heroine arrived in September 2013 and likewise achieved global success, attaining triple-platinum status in the U.S., five-times platinum certification in New Zealand, and gold accreditation in the U.K. Subsequent singles included “Tennis Court” and “Team,” the latter reaching the U.S. top ten, after which Lorde spent 2014 promoting Pure Heroine through extensive touring and festival headline slots, collecting Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Pop Performance for “Royals.” September 2014 also brought “Yellow Flicker Beat,” a contribution to the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 1.

Attention then turned to material for a second album, a process spanning nearly two years. Once collaboration began with Jack Antonoff of Fun. and Bleachers in 2016, the project coalesced. Lead single “Green Light” emerged in March 2017, followed by the full-length Melodrama in June. Widely praised, the record earned an Album of the Year nomination at the 2018 Grammy Awards and secured the equivalent honor in New Zealand. Worldwide dates supporting the album featured supporting acts Run the Jewels, Tove Styrke, and Mitski; during the tour Run the Jewels supplied a remix of “Supercut.” Withdrawing from view, Lorde devoted subsequent years to preparations for her next record and published Going South, a photography volume chronicling a journey to Antarctica.

June 2021 marked the return of Lorde with “Solar Power,” her first new single in four years. Serving as title track for the album of the same name, which she co-produced with Jack Antonoff and released that August, the project addressed environmental concerns and a wish to step away from fame-centric culture while adopting a subdued psych-folk palette. It topped charts in New Zealand and Australia and reached number five on the Billboard 200. The companion release Te Ao Mārama appeared in September, presenting five tracks performed in te reo Māori; proceeds benefited the New Zealand charities Forest & Bird and Te Hua Kawariki.

March 2024 saw Lorde contribute a rendition of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River” to Everyone’s Getting Involved, a tribute album honoring Talking Heads and their 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense. That same year she joined Charli XCX for the Brat remix of “Girl, So Confusing,” entered a songwriting agreement with Universal Music Publishing, and indicated that work on a fourth studio album had begun.