“What Was That?”
Lorde is back.
Her fourth studio album titled “Virgin” is set to release on June 27, now a little over a month. She has welcomed in her new era with her latest single, “What Was That” — the same question I asked in surprise when I first heard Lorde would be re-entering a realm where I had sorely missed seeing her.
Lorde has left a considerable amount to the imagination with ”Virgin” and I am finding both relief and excitement in that. There’s an aura of mystery with this upcoming album. She’s pushing the album far past forward with her upcoming UltraSound World Tour. Lorde has a drive to perform more than ever this time around and it’s a more than welcome attitude.
Lorde has always put out her albums every four years and while this release is routine, it’s still exciting. However, “Brat summer” took off and put Charli xcx on the map as a seasoned and bewitching popstar. Lorde summer is now fastly approaching, but it is now in question whether or not Lorde summer will take off. As the Grammy-winning electronic dance-pop album continues to make its reigns, it’s wondered if it will still be playing in the background of Lorde summer. There’s also the floating question of whether Lorde’s album can compete with Charli xcx’s “Brat,” or if it’s even trying to, that seems to tower over the singer’s upcoming release.
“Brat” experienced fame on an unfathomable level and it even became a lifestyle for some. It was so popular that Kamala Harris used the concept for her presidential campaign. “Brat” was unforgettable, whether you were into it or not. It was all the rage and the album cover was inescapable.
I love “Brat” and am a huge fan of the album. However, brat summer has had its time in the sun — similar to Lorde in her 2021 album “Solar Power.” Solar Power wasn’t received well by many Lorde fans or the general bystanders of her music when it first came out. The album received a lot of hate alongside Lorde herself, and so this album is important, even with the wavering opinions on “Solar Power.” Lorde is all the buzz at the moment, while Charli xcx’s latest album is rusting — per the latest change to the album cover on all streaming platforms.
It’s time for both artists to let go of summer and move on to new things. Lorde did in fact say “the sun has to rise” in her last work, “Solar Power.”
Rowan Cavanaugh, political science student at DePaul, spoke about Lorde’s comeback from break.
“I think Lorde summer will absolutely take off if the album is as good as expected. It’s been four years without new music and people are more than ready to have her back,” Cavanaugh said. “She genuinely harnesses something so human and raw in her music and I think that’s why she’s so popular. No one’s doing it like her.”
It’s safe to say almost everyone has been waiting for Lorde to make a comeback, especially since the rise of “Brat.” You could hear something different lying beneath June’s Charli xcx and Lorde collab on “Girl, so confusing.” Fans hadn’t heard from her in a while and had little to no idea what she was up to.
Frank Marino, a film student at DePaul, also thinks Lorde’s summer album will take off.
“There’s definitely an appetite for new Lorde music that is more reminiscent of her previous works, but I also think last year’s brat summer primed the world for an inevitable Lorde takeover,” Marino said. “Lorde summer doesn’t have to compete with brat summer; in fact, I can see them complementing each other.”
I agree that Lorde and Charli xcx albums can’t compete. I don’t think “Virgin” is even trying to. Charli’s Brat trilogy has finished the story of the original piece and I’m more than ready for Lorde to come back out. It’s a new year and a new time for music, people and artists.
I think Lorde’s summer will take off; how could it not? She has been a force in the industry for years now, every work she’s put out has been talked about extensively and has become a culture of sorts. She’s introspective and peacefully theatrical, pushing the boundaries of pop with vulnerability and honesty.
She’s in a league of her own. In fact, both artists are. The two artists are raising the bar, but it’s no secret that the people want Lorde back.
As Lorde said in “Melodrama,” “it’s time to let go of this endless summer afternoon.”
“Brat” has had its deservedly long high, but I think Lorde should finally get the summer she’s been talking about back.
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