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What was that? Well, it was Lorde announcing her new album, of course. After the chaotic release of her single “What Was That” in the middle of Washington Square Park last week, the singer has blessed us with more intel about her fourth album. According to her website, the record is called Virgin and it’s coming out on June 27. One week after the Haim album? Trend alert: Art about your yearslong relationship falling apart is in. Here’s everything we know about the album so far.
What’s on the album cover?
In addition to sharing the title and release date on Wednesday, Lorde shared the cover on Instagram:
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If you’re dumb like me, you might be wondering what you’re looking at here. The answer is that the person getting X-rayed (Lorde, presumably?) is wearing jeans. Those nipple-looking things on her hips are rivets; the zipper is the zipper; and she’s wearing a belt. Did I initially think the belt was a matchbook or a Polaroid, maybe a condom? Yes, but it’s definitely just a belt. And that is also definitely an IUD hanging out just below it. Hell yeah.
Who is involved in the new album?
On her site, Lorde said that she produced the album with Jim-E Stack, with additional credits for Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross, Dan Nigro, and Dev Hynes. You might not clock it immediately, but this is a list of very cool people. Stack is a prolific producer who has worked with Haim, Charli XCX, and Caroline Polachek; Palladino is a British singer signed to Jai Paul’s label; Aged plays guitar for indie superstar Mk.gee; Ross is a producer most well-known for his work with Frank Ocean; Nigro is the producer behind Olivia Rodrigo’s and Chappell Roan’s many hits; and Dev Hynes is Blood Orange. Lorde said, “I need a dream team,” and she got one.
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Is there merch?
Obviously, you can buy the album on vinyl and as a CD. But you can also buy a cute little baby tee that says “Virgin an album by Lorde.” How about a long-sleeve shirt that features the album cover on the front and then a list of rules (?) on the back, which include: “Use the existing tools wherever possible. If the tools do not exist, you are spiritually obligated to create them” and “Bigger toe box.” Can I interest you in a baseball cap that has what might be a track list on it? The words are: Mystic, Antipodean, Spiritual Technologist, Medicine Woman, Man of the Year. You will definitely see this hat on a Court Square–bound G train this June.
What’s the vibe?
Kind of intense. While there aren’t many other details so far, Lorde wrote on her website that the album was “100 percent written in blood,” which certainly gives us a glimpse at where she’s headed. In an email to fans, she laid out her intent: “I was trying to make a document that reflected my femininity: raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc.” She also said the color of the album is “clear.”
Additionally, we have one big clue about what Lorde wants from this album. During her appearance in Washington Square Park, she was being filmed on an iPhone by Terrence O’Connor, the digital strategist who helped launch brat summer. “Virgin summer” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but I have faith that they’ll figure something else out.
