Lorde Debuts New Song “What Was That” Live at Washington Square Park

Lorde debuted her forthcoming new single, “What Was That,” on Tuesday night, April 22, at New York’s Washington Sq. Park. The singer stood on a picket platform on the middle of the park’s now-dormant fountain and sang alongside to the monitor because it performed from a minimal speaker stack, in accordance with footage shared on-line. Watch a clip on X.

Earlier right now, Lorde teased the pop-up look with a message shared through her fan textual content line: “Meet me within the park Tonight 7pm -xx.” When 7 p.m. Japanese Daylight Time rolled round, she adopted up with a publish to her Instagram story, informing attendees that the occasion had been shut down by park rangers and native police. “I’m actually Amazed by what number of of you confirmed up !!!” it learn, partly. “However they’re telling me you gotta disperse … I’m so sorry.”

A lot of the group caught round for the following hour, nevertheless, till Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes—who’s purported to have labored on Lorde’s subsequent album—arrived with a rolling speaker blasting “What Was That” and led them out of the park. Lorde lastly confirmed up after 9 p.m., pausing to thank the assembled followers earlier than launching into her music. Newly revealed lyrics embrace the next: “I’m lacking you/And all of the issues we used to do/MDMA within the again backyard, blow our pupils up/We kissed for hours straight however child, what was that?/I bear in mind saying then/That is the very best cigarette of my life/Nicely I need you similar to that.”

Lorde first teased “What Was That” via a snippet posted to TikTok, accompanied by a video of her strutting round Washington Sq. Park. She not too long ago made an look at Charli XCX’s weekend one Coachella set and collaborated with New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams. Her newest studio album up to now is 2021’s Solar Power.

Examine Charli XCX and Lorde’s “Girl, So Confusing Featuring Lorde” at No. 9 in “The 100 Best Songs of 2024.”

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