Lorde Drops First New Single in Four Years, ‘What Was That’

After days of teasers, Lorde has dropped her new single and video, “What Was That.” The song was produced by the singer in collaboration with Jim-E Stack (Bon Over) and Grammy producer of the Year Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan/ Olivia Rodrigo).

The video features Lorde walking and riding a bicycle around New York City, and includes footage from one of the teasers — a pop-up performance in Washington Square Park on Tuesday that she’s announced on social media but then abruptly canceled after the park became packed with people. She eventually came out two hours after her scheduled start time and footage was captured of her dancing to a recording of the song.

“What Was That” is the singer’s first major release in almost four years, following 2021’s “Solar Power.” However, her profile has been high in recent months due in part to her collaboration with Charli xcx, “Girl, So Confusing,” which finds the two artists working out some personal misunderstandings in the song’s lyrics. Lorde performed the song with Charli at New York’s Madison Square Garden last fall and at the first weekend of the Coachella festival earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Lorde announced via a group text with her fans: “Meet me in the park Tonight 7pm -xx.” Fans flocked to the park and at least a couple thousand had gathered around the fountain, with some even climbing trees for a better view until they were shouted down by local park rangers.

But at 7 p.m., Lorde posted on her Instagram story “OMG @thepark the cops are shutting us down. I am truly Amazed by how many of you showed up !!!” it read, in part. “But they’re telling me you gotta disperse … I’m so sorry.”

While many fans left, many lingered, and eventually Blood Orange frontman Dev Hynes — who is reported to have collaborated on Lorde’s new album — arrived with a portable speaker blasting the song. The singer herself arrived at 9 p.m., thanking the remaining fans and then playing the song.