Lorde is entering a bold new chapter—and it begins with a Hammer. The pop visionary has just released “Hammer,” the final single before her highly anticipated new album Virgin arrives on June 27. Opening the LP, “Hammer” sets the tone with a mix of sensuality, heat, and urban grit.
Described by Lorde herself as “an ode to city life and horniness tbh,” the track pulses with late-night tension and introspective urgency. “There’s a heat in the pavement / My mercury’s raising,” she sings, over lush, minimal production co-crafted with longtime collaborator Jim-E Stack.
The visual rollout continues to push creative boundaries. Directed by Renell Medrano and filmed on location in Hampstead Heath, London, the upcoming music video promises striking, surreal imagery—including Lorde balancing pigeons on her shoulders while wearing braided pigtails, as revealed in a teaser.
“Hammer” is the third track shared from Virgin, following April’s mysterious “What Was That” and last month’s cinematic “Man of the Year.” Both songs debuted with bold visuals and unique fan experiences—including a flash mob-style park performance in New York that ended in police intervention.
Fans in Australia and New Zealand will be the first to experience Virgin in full at special listening parties on June 25 and 26, ahead of Lorde’s international tour kicking off this September. The tour will feature support from Blood Orange, Empress Of, Nilüfer Yanya, and others.
Following the ethereal warmth of 2021’s Solar Power, Virgin marks a darker, more visceral direction for Lorde—raw, urban, and unfiltered.
With “Hammer,” she’s not just teasing a new album. She’s signaling a full-on creative rebirth.