After nearly four years away from the spotlight, Lorde is back. Her new single, What Was That, dropped on April 24, marking her first major release since 2021. Co-produced by Lorde herself along with Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro, the song dives into the emotional aftermath of a breakup, wrapped in pulsing synths and moody beats.
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The track blends the raw emotion of Melodrama with a new, electric energy. It’s confessional, hypnotic, and full of vivid memories. “MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up / We kissed for hours straight / Well baby, what was that?” she sings, her voice low and deliberate. The lyrics feel like a diary entry—intimate and unfiltered.
The music video matches the intensity of the song. Shot in New York City, it features Lorde wandering the streets before breaking into dance in the middle of Washington Square Park. Fans surround her, phones raised, capturing the moment. The video includes real footage from an impromptu meet-up earlier in the week that was nearly shut down by police after her cryptic invitation: “meet me at the park.”
This new era seems to pick up where Melodrama left off. It’s emotional, unpolished, and cinematic. But it also hints at change—Lorde is older now, and her voice carries the weight of everything she’s been through. She described the inspiration behind the song as “deep breakup, stopping birth control, every meal a battle,” and a “rebirth.”
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