Lorde’s Fourth Album 'Virgin' Is Here—and It’s Her Boldest Yet

Lorde is back. After a three-year hiatus, the New Zealand-born singer released her highly anticipated fourth studio album Virgin on Friday. The 11-track project marks a sonic and thematic shift from 2021’s Solar Power, trading its breezy optimism for a darker, more intimate exploration of identity, spirituality, and longing.

Produced alongside collaborator Jim-E Stack, Virgin leans into Lorde's most vulnerable side with emotional vocals and haunting electronic sounds. Early singles hinted at the moodier direction—echoing the raw intensity of Melodrama—with standout tracks like “What Was That” and “Hammer” setting the tone for the album’s introspective core. 

Upon the announcement of Virgin, fans of the artist raced to the internet to share their thoughts. Given Lorde's connection to fellow singer Charli XCX, many fans have proclaimed it a "Lorde Summer" and a "Virgin Summer," a reference to last year's "Brat Summer." The two artists collaborated on the remix of 2024 smash hit "Girl, so confusing." The collaboration broke the internet, cemented Brat as an era in time and marked Lorde's return to the music scene. 

The album rollout for Virgin has been just as intimate for the fans as it has been for Lorde. It all began on April 9 when the singer uploaded a TikTok walking through Washington Square Park along with a snippet of the album's first single, "What Was That." One week later, Lorde hosted a live event in Washington Square Park to preview the song. The event was a headline in itself--she teased the show mere hours before it began, only for NYPD to shut it down due to the large crowd. Shortly after, however, the singer made an appearance to sing and dance along with her fans. In a voicenote shared with fans ahead of the single's release, she shared "I've never felt more intentional with every single piece of what I'm doing." She further explained that "there's such a deep ethos behind all of it, and it all braids together in the end." The singer also hosted a live listening party of the entire record ahead of its release for fans in New York City.

Other collaborators and contributers to Virgin include Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross, Dan Nigro and Dev Hynes. Stack and Hynes will be joining Lorde as supporting acts on the "Ultrasound World Tour" to accompany Virgin. 

Keep scrolling for the album review and explanation of the album cover.

Lorde Virgin Review

The album opens with "Hammer," a deeply emotional song that both encompasses and previews what the album will be about--themes of isolation, gender, sexuality and heartbreak all echo throughout the song. Hit single "What Was That" follows it up, a bares-all track that asks a former flame what the two really were. "Shapeshifter" explores the singer's relationship with her sexuality and "Man Of The Year" refers to a former partner of Lorde's. 

"Favorite Daughter" delves into the singer's relationship with her mom, hinting at feelings of overachieving and underperforming, and how that has affected her life. "Current Affairs" references sexuality and possible themes of infidelity, and "Clearblue" references the pregnancy test of the same name--a track encapsulating the feeling of taking a pregnancy test. "Grwm," speculated to stand for "Grown Woman," is a catchy song that further explores relationship with herself and her own identity. "Broken Glass" is a deeply personal song that dives into self-image and eating disorders. "If She Could See Me Now" further explores her sexuality in relation to her identity. "David," the closing track of the album, reminisces on a former relationship that left Lorde with trauma, and utilizes religious themes and references to do so. 

The overall soundscape of the record is familiar to Lorde's Melodrama, while still providing listeners with a matured overall sound due to the themes and lyrics. The production feels mature, and fits the overarching themes of the album well. It isn't too overbearing, and allows for the lyrics to be felt while listening. 

Lorde Virgin Album Cover

The album art further illustrates the deeply personal themes of the album—it is an X-ray image of a pelvis with a belt buckle, zipper and IUD in view. It is meant to capture and represent both the femininity and androgony that Lorde feels, while also adding a level of vulnerability and closeness to the record due to the ultra-personal artwork being used. 

The intimate relationship that Lorde has fostered with her fans runs deep, but is especially fitting given the themes within Virgin. The album, which serves as a larger exploration of human gender, sexuality and identity, is her most intimate work yet. Each of the 11 tracks on the album drives the story further along, painting a picture of humanity that all listeners can relate to in one way or another, while still keeping a narrative that feels authentic, personal and singular to Lorde's lived experiences and multitudes as an individual.