Lorde Releases Long-Awaited New Single “What Was That”

Lorde has released her new song, “What Was That,” the first single from her upcoming fourth studio album.

The New Zealand singer-songwriter initially teased the track in her first post on TikTok on April 9. There, she shared a video of herself walking and running around New York City as the lyrics played in the background. “Since I was 17, I gave you everything / Now we wake from a baby, well baby, what was that?” she sang in the post. Shortly after, the two-time Grammy Award winner announced the official name of the song, “What Was That.”

Earlier this week, she debuted “What Was That” in front of hundreds of fans in Washington Square Park, dancing on a wood platform as the song played on a speaker beside her. Lorde originally told fans to go to the park at 7 p.m., though police shut down the impromptu event as she didn’t have a permit. Fans stuck around, and she came out later that night to show off the song.

Lorde also prepared her fans for her new era with a voice memo she sent out. There, she thanked her supporters for their “patience” and teased that “these are really the last moments where it’s just us, which is crazy but so right.” 

“I’m so ready. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to say that, but I am,” Lorde wrote. “I’m so thankful for your patience. I’ve felt your love, I’ve felt you right there. This is gonna be crazy, you have no idea.” 

The news comes after a roughly four year long dry spell for Lorde. Her last album, Solar Power, debuted in August 2021.

Despite not releasing her own music in the years since, Lorde notably collaborated with Charli xcx on their “Girl, so confusing” remix. The track swiftly went viral, and prompted Charli to tap Lorde during her 2025 Coachella set and her September 23 N.Y.C. stop of the Sweat tour.