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Virgin (Lorde album)

From Wikipedia - Reading time: 11 min

Virgin
A blue-tinted x-ray of a pelvis. A belt buckle, pants zipper, pants rivets and an IUD can be seen on the x-ray.
Standard cover
Studio album by
Lorde
Released27 June 2025 (2025-06-27)
Label
Producer
Lorde chronology
Te Ao Mārama
(2021) 		Virgin
(2025)
Singles from Virgin
  1. "What Was That"
    Released: 24 April 2025
  2. "Man of the Year"
    Released: 29 May 2025

Virgin is the upcoming fourth studio album by New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde. The album marks the first full-length release from Lorde in four years, following 2021's Solar Power. It is scheduled to be released on 27 June 2025 through Universal Music New Zealand and Republic Records. It was preceded by the singles "What Was That" and "Man of the Year". The album will be supported by the upcoming Ultrasound World Tour.

Background

[edit]

New Zealand singer Lorde released her third studio album Solar Power in August 2021 to polarising reviews from music critics and the public.[1] In an email sent to fans via her newsletter subscription in 2022, the singer stated that the reception the album received was "really painful" and "confounding" to process at times.[2] She further said that she had learned a lot from it. In July 2022, at her show at Roundhouse in London, Lorde told the audience that she was getting closer to writing anthemic pop songs, stating that the "banger will always be on the horizon".[3] The following year, Lorde told Ensemble that she had a "light on inside her" and that she wanted to "move as quick" as she can to release her upcoming album, forgoing her usual long stretches of time in between her album releases.[4]

In March of that year, Lorde was announced as the headliner for a series of festivals in Europe. During these festivals, the singer began performing reworked versions of songs from her discography,[5] which included incorporating more electronic elements to Solar Power's original guitar-based melodies; she also performed two new songs, tentatively titled "Invisible Ink" and "Silver Moon" at Boardmasters Festival in the United Kingdom.[6] She also performed at All Together Now in Ireland,[7] Øyafestivalen in Norway,[8] Flow Festival in Finland,[9] Sziget Festival in Hungary,[10] and Paredes de Coura Festival in Portugal.[11] The performances for these festivals received widespread acclaim from critics,[12] with many noting its seamless song transitions. These string of festivals Lorde called the "night vision edition" of the tour.[13]

In an email sent to fans later that year, the singer stated that she was "living with heartbreak again",[14] which publications interpreted to indicate a breakup with American music executive Justin Warren,[15] a fact she confirmed in a profile interview with Rolling Stone.[16] She also revealed health issues with her gut and skin. In April 2024, Lorde recorded a cover of "Take Me to the River"—originally written by American soul singer Al Green in 1974, but covered by American rock band Talking Heads in 1978—for the tribute album Everyone's Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense (2024).[17] In June 2024, Lorde was featured on a remix of "Girl, So Confusing" by English singer Charli XCX, taken from her studio album Brat (2024).[18] In her verse, Lorde discussed her health and body image issues. The remix, included in Charli's remix album Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat (2024), received widespread critical praise, and featured on various year-end and mid-decade listicles, including the top placement by publications Exclaim!,[19] The Independent,[20] and Clash.[21]

Production

[edit]

Lorde co-produced the album alongside Jim-E Stack, with songwriting and additional production contributions from Dev Hynes, Dan Nigro, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged and Buddy Ross.[22] Spike Stent and Tom Elmhirst were enlisted for mixing of the record, while mastering was handled by Chris Gehringer.[23]

Artwork

[edit]

The artwork, photographed by Heji Shin, depicts an X-ray picture of a pelvis with a belt buckle, pant zipper, and IUD present.[22][24] Lorde said she viewed X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound way of capturing image as "techy but like mystical" and that interest led her to incorporate emoji with that theme in text with friends. [25]

Mentioning imagery of bathwater, ice, spit and windows, the synesthetic singer announced in a statement that transparent was the "colour" of the album, aiming at "full transparency". Virgin was her attempt to "make a document" that reflected her femininity which she described as "raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc".[26]

Promotion

[edit]

On 24 April 2025, Lorde released "What Was That", her first original single release as a solo artist in nearly four years. The song acted as the lead single from her then-unannounced fourth album.[27] An accompanying music video was filmed in New York City, and included footage of a surprise performance at Washington Square Park earlier that week.[28] She announced the 11-track album on 30 April and revealed further information through her social media, detailing the release and contributors.[29]

Lorde alluded to possible meanings of the title through some screenshots shared on her Instagram that discuss that ‘virgin’ could mean a woman that is “‘not attached to a man, […] that is one—in-herself’.” The term is also suggested to come from combining Latin words from man (vir) and woman (gyne) relating ‘virgin’ to androgyny. A third image relates the word to purity as in ‘virgin metals’.[30][31] This meaning was reinforced by Lorde in an interview, where she associates this not to sexual purity, but the essence of something.[25]

The album's tracklist was announced through Lorde's social media on 28 May.[32] The following day, "Man of the Year" was released, alongside an accompanying music video, as the album's second single.[32] The album's marketing style has been likened to guerrilla marketing strategies, consisting of frequent pop-up events in unconventional venues in various cities including Auckland, Sydney, London and New York.[33][34][35]

Tour

[edit]
Main article: Ultrasound World Tour

On 8 May 2025, Lorde announced the Ultrasound World Tour in support of Virgin. The tour will begin on 17 September 2025 in Austin, Texas.

Track listing

[edit]
Virgin track listing[36]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Hammer"
  
2."What Was That"
3:29
3."Shapeshifter"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
4."Man of the Year"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  • Stack
  • Lorde
  • Jim E-Stack
3:00
5."Favourite Daughter"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
6."Current Affairs"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
7."Clearblue"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
8."GRWM"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
9."Broken Glass"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
10."If She Could See Me Now"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  
11."David"
  • Yelich-O'Connor
  

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for Virgin
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 27 June 2025
Universal New Zealand [37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Moore, Sam (20 August 2021). "Lorde – Solar Power reviews: Critics torn over the year's most divisive album". The Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  2. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (22 June 2022). "Lorde Reveals the Initial Response to 'Solar Power' Was 'Really Confounding and at Times Painful to Sit With'". Uproxx. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  3. ^ Shutler, Ali (5 June 2022). "Lorde says she's "getting nearer" to writing nothing but big pop songs". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  4. ^ de Pressigny, Clem (12 February 2023). "Lorde, in a new light". Ensemble. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  5. ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (12 August 2023). "Lorde played two new tracks at Boardmasters - check out footage of both". Dork. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  6. ^ Singh, Surej (13 August 2023). "Watch Lorde perform two new songs at Boardmasters Festival". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  7. ^ O'Donoghue, Denise (8 May 2023). "Lorde added to the bill for All Together Now festival in Co Waterford". The Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  8. ^ Wilkes, Emma (24 March 2023). "Lorde, Sløtface, Róisín Murphy lead latest names for Øya Festival 2023". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  9. ^ Jones, Damian (2 March 2023). "Lorde, Christine and the Queens and Pusha T join Flow Festival 2023 line-up". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  10. ^ Dunworth, Liberty (14 March 2023). "Mumford & Sons, Lorde and more added to Sziget 2023 line-up". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  11. ^ Williams, Aaron (14 August 2023). "Here Are the Paredes de Coura Festival Set Times for 2023". Uproxx. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  12. ^ Shutler, Ali (15 August 2023). "Lorde is entering her "why the fuck not" era as she hints at what may come next at Sziget Festival". Dork. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
    Siroky, Mary (9 August 2023). "Lorde Is Stepping Into a New Era — On Her Terms: Øya Festival Review". Consequence. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
    Stubbs, Stuart (13 August 2023). "Lorde and Amyl & the Sniffers at Flow: 2 very different routes to absolute hysteria". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
    Power, Ed (7 August 2023). "Lorde at All Together Now: Knockout performance underscores singer's star power". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  13. ^ Power, Ed (8 August 2023). "Lorde's bold live return showcases a radically different chapter". NME. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  14. ^ Kaufman, Gil (21 September 2023). "Lorde Shares Painful Truths in Emotional Letter to Fans: 'I'm Living with Heartbreak Again'". Billboard. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  15. ^ Hebert, Olivia (21 September 2023). "Lorde pens emotional letter to fans hinting at Justin Warren split". The Independent. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  16. ^ Spanos, Brittany (15 May 2025). "Lorde: 'I'm an Intense Bitch'". Rolling Stone.
  17. ^ Strauss, Mathew (28 March 2024). "Lorde Covers "Take Me to the River" for Talking Heads Tribute Album: Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  18. ^ Garcia, Thania (4 October 2024). "Charli XCX Reveals Features for 'Brat' Remix Album Include Ariana Grande, Julian Casablancas, Tinashe and More". Variety. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  19. ^ "Exclaim!'s 20 Best Songs of 2024". Exclaim!. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  20. ^ O'Connor, Roisin; White, Adam; Chilton, Louis; Nugent, Annabel (16 November 2024). "The 20 best songs of 2024, ranked". The Independent. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Songs of the Year 2024". Clash. 19 December 2024. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
  22. ^ a b Spanos, Brittany (30 April 2025). "Lorde announces fourth studio album, Virgin". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  23. ^ Garcia, Thania (30 April 2025). "Lorde Announces New Album, Virgin: '100% Written in Blood'". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  24. ^ Lapierre, Megan (30 April 2025). "Lorde Announces New Album 'Virgin'". Exclaim. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Session 76: Lorde | Therapuss with Jake Shane". 4 June 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ Dailey, Hannah (30 April 2025). "Lorde Finally Announces New Album Virgin: Here's When It Arrives". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  27. ^ Aswad, Jem (24 April 2025). "Lorde Drops First New Single in Four Years, 'What Was That'". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  28. ^ Taylor, Sam (30 April 2025). "Lorde has announced her new album Virgin for June". Dork. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  29. ^ Corcoran, Nina (30 April 2025). "Lorde Announces New Album Virgin". Pitchfork. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  30. ^ "The Real Reason Lorde's Next Album Is Called 'Virgin'". Cosmopolitan.com. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  31. ^ "Lorde Contextualizes The Meaning Of Her Album 'Virgin'". Uproxx.com. 1 May 2025. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
  32. ^ a b Lochrie, Conor (29 May 2025). "Lorde Drops New Single 'Man of the Year', Shares 'Virgin' Tracklist". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 29 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ "What Was That?: The Rebirth of Guerrilla Marketing in the Arts". Mobius Industries. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  34. ^ Yiakmis, Sigrid (29 May 2025). "What went down at Lorde's surprise shows in Auckland?". RNZ. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  35. ^ Molloy, Laura (8 June 2025). "Lorde surprises London fans by showing up and dancing at 'Virgin' pop-up car park listening party". NME. Retrieved 11 June 2025.
  36. ^ Jason P. Frank (28 May 2025). "Lorde's Virgin Birth". Vulture. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  37. ^ Lorde (27 June 2025). "Virgin". Apple Music. Retrieved 30 April 2025.

Further reading

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Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_(Lorde_album)
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