Lorde’s album rollout continues apace.
Aotearoa’s pop superstar dropped new single “Man of the Year” today, a track that was teased on social media with three confronting words: “Written in blood.”
“Man of the Year” is accompanied by a mesmerising music video, which you can now watch below.
The track follows previous single “What Was That”, which Lorde memorably previewed in New York City’s Washington Square Park in April. After sending out a text blast to fans announcing the unexpected teaser event, so many people filled up the park that the police had to come and shut the whole thing down. (She performed “What Was That” in the same place just a couple of hours later anyway.)
Both tracks will feature on the forthcoming Virgin, due June 27th, which is the long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s Solar Power. She discussed Virgin at length in her Rolling Stone cover story, her first in-depth conversation about her new album.
Earlier today, Lorde took to social media to share the tracklist for Virgin: “Hammer What Was That Shapeshifter Man Of The Year Favourite Daughter Current Affairs Clearblue GRWM Broken Glass If She Could See Me Now David. From me to you June 27,” she wrote.
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Lorde ramped up promotion for her new album this week with a return to her home country, where she delivered a surprise pop-up performance in a bathroom at Auckland’s YMCA on Wednesday night.
The intimate show followed a cryptic Instagram post earlier that day: a grainy photo of a cracked iPhone tucked into the waistband of a pair of jeans, tagged simply “Auckland.” The post linked to a WhatsApp chat where fans could message Lorde directly.
“Auckland I wanna play you something .. Meet me in the city tonight? Message me if you’re keen,” she wrote.
Fans quickly gathered in the CBD, with reports of more than 300 people lining the street outside the venue. According to the NZ Herald, organisers let groups of about 30 in every 15 minutes. Some fans, invite or not, stayed in the cold hoping for a glimpse of the star – or for a miracle wristband.
Lorde’s hometown performance was preceded by an even more surprising appearance at a Sydney club party over the weekend.
She crashed Mary’s Underground, which was hosting a “Lorde-themed club night”, on Sunday night, and as the venue told Rolling Stone AU/NZ, it was not a planned stunt.
“The vibe was off the charts. And yeah… Lorde showed up,” the Mary’s Underground team said. “She was buzzing the venue was even open on a Sunday. We tried to shuffle her to the green room, but she wasn’t having it. Straight into the crowd, singing along, soaking it up. When it came time to bounce, she bolted back in like she couldn’t let it go. Pure magic. That’s what we live for.”
Lorde’s “Man of the Year” is out now. Virgin is out June 27th.
