In true Lorde fashion — spontaneous, cryptic, and quietly revolutionary — the alt-pop auteur gave fans their first listen of her long-awaited new single “What Was That” in an unscheduled park playback in New York City on April 22.
Texting fans earlier that day to “meet me in the park,” Lorde drew a massive crowd to Washington Square Park, only for the informal event to be shut down by police due to lack of a sound permit. But the New Zealand-born artist had a Plan B: as night fell, she returned with Dev Hynes of Blood Orange, blasting the dreamy synth-laced track from speakers while dancing above the crowd in jeans and a white shirt, bikini peeking through — pure Lorde energy.
Though she didn’t perform live, the moment felt deeply personal. Fans belted the lyrics back as she swayed to: “Since I was seventeen, I gave you everything… Now we wake from a dream / Well baby, what was that?” It was raw, intimate, and exactly the type of unscripted magic that’s made Lorde’s following so loyal.
The single, officially dropping April 25, marks her first solo release since 2021 and is the lead track from her upcoming fourth album. This guerrilla-style rollout follows a surprise Coachella appearance with Charli XCX, and a TikTok debut teasing the track in the same NYC park.
“This is gonna be crazy,” Lorde told fans in a voice memo. “You have no idea.” Neither did the city. But now, everyone’s listening.