Lorde

Lorde was only 16 years-old when she called out the Pop Machine for its inflated emphasis on glitz and glamour with her smash-hit “Royals.” Since then, the singer-songwriter has been making a claim for the crown of pop stardom with her moody, alt-pop music and clever lyrics.

Born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, the musician grew up in a New Zealand suburb of Auckland. By the age of 12, O’Connor signed a development record deal with Universal Music Group after a label agent watched a video of her talent show performance. From there, O’Connor set her career in motion by adopting a producer in Joel Little and a moniker she once described as “cocky or grandiose” in Lorde. “I don’t know, it’s a bit boring: Ella Yelich-O’Connor,” Lorde said in her 2017 Rolling Stone cover story. “Can you imagine them shouting it at a festival?” She shrugs. “It just made sense to me to elevate it.”

In 2012, Lorde released “Royals” as the lead single of her The Love Club EP, which was posted on Soundcloud. Soon after, the track took over the internet — and then the world. By the summer of 2013, Lorde became the second ever solo female artist to top the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. In August, Lorde released her debut studio album Pure Heroine. Immediately, following the success of “Royals” and her first LP, the teen icon was heralded as a music industry disruptor for her dark, Gothic-inspired appearance and notably distinct stage presence, which focused on her vocals rather than her dance moves. The following year, Lorde became the youngest person to ever win the Grammy for Song of the Year with “Royals.”

Four years later, Lorde followed up the massive success of Pure Heroine with the masterful Melodrama, which elevated the singer-songwriter’s talents in every direction. The album marked Lorde’s first number one debut on the Billboard album chart and featured booming hits “Green Light” and “Perfect Places.” In 2024, Melodrama was named one of the greatest albums of the 21st century by Rolling Stone and its watercolor album art was also recognized as one of the best album covers of all time.

Lorde stepped out of the spotlight following Melodrama, much like she did after the release of her debut LP. In 2021, the singer-songwriter returned with Solar Power, which was inspired by her homeland of New Zealand. Solar Power garnered a mostly negative response from fans and critics alike. In Rolling Stone‘s review of the album, Brittany Spanos wrote, “It’s the dawn of a new Lorde — dare we say, in her Margaritaville era? — trying to channel her inner chill to mixed results.”

Now, Lorde is back after another four year gap from creating music. The singer began teasing her new project in the spring of 2025. Her first single in four years, “What Was That” will be out April 25. —Maya Georgi