Lorde Announces Fourth Studio Album, ‘Virgin’
Cover art for Virgin.
Resident prolific pop star Lorde announced the June 27 release of her fourth studio album, Virgin, Wednesday, following months of teasing a new project on social media.
The New Zealand native posted the album art on Instagram with the caption, “Virgin,” and directed followers to a link with more details on her story. According to Lorde’s official website, the LP was produced by herself and Jim-E Stack, who also produced the Lorde remix of Charli xcx’s “Girl, so confusing.”
In a message to newsletter subscribers, Lorde hints at what fans can expect from the summer-arriving album. The theme of transparency is sure to be omnipresent.
“THE LANGUAGE IS PLAIN AND UNSENTIMENTAL. THE SOUNDS ARE THE SAME WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I WAS TRYING TO SEE MYSELF, ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DOCUMENT THAT REFLECTED MY FEMININITY: RAW, PRIMAL, INNOCENT, ELEGANT, OPENHEARTED, SPIRITUAL, MASC,” she wrote.
Given her history of writing extremely vulnerable songs like Melodrama’s “Liability” and Solar Power’s “Stoned at the Nail Salon,” it’s hard to imagine Lorde being afraid to show fans the deepest parts of her psyche. Yet, she writes, “I’M PROUD AND SCARED OF THIS ALBUM. THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE. I BELIEVE THAT PUTTING THE DEEPEST PARTS OF OURSELVES TO MUSIC IS WHAT SETS US FREE.”
The announcement of the 11-track new album comes just under a week after releasing lead single “What Was That,” a song that now clearly encapsulates the essence of Virgin. With production more reminiscent of Pure Heroine and Melodrama and lyrics that reflect the maturity of Solar Power, “What Was That” is an apt usher into this “raw” yet “elegant” new era.
Lorde has been teasing a new project for months, posting pictures of a recording studio on Instagram and rebranding her social media and Spotify artist page. “What Was That” was first teased in a TikTok clip of Lorde roaming the streets of New York City with a snippet of the song’s chorus playing.
She held an impromptu mini “concert” in Washington Square Park last week, where she danced with fans to the new single.
You can presave Virgin here and subscribe to Lorde’s newsletter to stay up to date with new music announcements.