The wait is finally over. Following a surprise Coachella performance and impromptu New York City park meetup, Lorde officially dropped her dreamy new synth-pop track “What Was That” — and accompanying music video — at midnight on April 24. The single, coproduced by Lorde alongside seasoned hitmakers Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro, marks her first release since her third studio album, Solar Power, debuted in 2021.
“I really think that the song is the music of my rebirth,” Lorde said in a voice note to fans ahead of the track’s release. “It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written, ever produced. The video is so sick. It’s just different this time. You’ll see. I love you so much.”
Fans have already flocked to social media to share their initial reactions to “What Was That.” An early “song of the summer” contender, it appears Charli XCX was right: It’s Lorde summer 2025.
On TikTok, a creator named Ben referred to the new track as “classic Lorde.”
“It somehow encapsulates youth while also growing older,” he wrote. “It starts with sad reminiscing but then turns so hopeful and happy for the future. Instead of green light it’s now the blue light?? Omg. The lyrics are perfect.”
“I feel like ‘What Was That’ is more so a self-reflective song about your outlook on life changing as you age rather than just a simple breakup song. She’s mourning the way she used to look at love, life, and even little things like a cigarette,” a fan named Sean wrote on X.
X user Michael Collado chronicled his experience while listening to “What Was That” writing, “Listening to the new Lorde song. Barista at my local coffee shop says I should try a different latte, which I’m drinking now. It’s low 70s out with a nice breeze. Life is worth living.”
Tate, another user on X, wrote of first hearing the song, “Randomly just had one of the most memorable nights strolling around campus with four of my closest friends soundtracked to a brand new Lorde song… This is what life is all about.”
Ahead of the song’s release, Lorde texted her fans to meet her “in the park” on Tuesday, the park being Washington Square Park in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Fans swarmed the location, where the New Zealand-born singer blasted “What Was That” from speakers. As the song played in its entirety, Lorde stood atop a platform next to the speakers, where she danced and sang along. The last-minute meetup in Washington Square Park occurred after local police canceled a prior pop-up event.
The “What Was That” music video was shot that same night, capturing the moments leading up to her park performance and the performance itself.
Even before releasing “What Was That,” fans have been bracing themselves for a Lorde comeback, because the pop singer herself has teased one. The 28-year-old singer-songwriter shared a snippet of the song in her first-ever post on TikTok on April 9. In the 15-second clip, which has more than 34 million views, she’s seen walking through Washington Square Park as the track plays in the background.
Lorde has already had a whirlwind April. Prior to dropping the single, she made a surprise appearance during Charli XCX’s Coachella set on April 12. The duo performed the remix of Charli’s Brat-era track “Girl, so confusing.” In a three-minute voice note sent to fans on April 15, the Melodrama singer reflected on the moments right before she joined Charli onstage.
“I had this little taste. Fifteen seconds. I could feel it behind me,” she said of walking onto the Coachella mainstage at dusk while thinking about the number of times she’d been to the music festival in the last 12 years. “I can just feel all that I have shed to be able to be in this the way I am right now.”
Lorde further hinted at a new musical era in the voice note and thanked her fans for coming along for the ride.
“I just wanted to say hi, because everything is about to change,” she continued. “These are the last moments where it’s just us, which is crazy. But so right. I’m so ready. I don’t know if I’d ever been able to say that but I am. I am so thankful for your patience. I felt your love. I felt you right there … This is going to be crazy. You have no idea.”
“What Was That” is available to stream on all major platforms.
