Lorde surprised Glastonbury on Friday with a secret set to celebrate the release of her new album, “Virgin.”
After the pop star slyly confirmed via Instagram on Thursday that she’d be playing at 11:30 a.m. at the Woodsies Stage, hundreds of fans flocked to the area hours before to claim a spot and hear the album live for the first time. Dressed in all-white and backed by a four-piece band, Lorde played “Virgin” straight through, starting with “Hammer” and then delivering an energetic “What Was That.” Other highlights included “Shapeshifter,” during which she flashed a silver bra, and “Man of the Year,” which saw her writhing around on the stage floor.
As her set reached its midpoint, she took a moment to address the crowd. “This is fucking sick. Thank you so much for being here with us on the day that ‘Virgin’ is born. We decided to play the whole record for you from front to back. This may be a one-of-one, you know?” she said, adding: “This record took me a lot. I didn’t know if I’d make another record to be honest, but I’m back here completely free. And I’m so grateful to you for waiting.”
After playing through the rest of the album, including the ethereal “Current Affairs” and emotional “David,” she then further surprised the audience with two of her biggest hits: “Ribs” and “Green Light.” Fittingly, a green laser shined out into the crowd as attendees turned from polite listeners to a rowdy mosh pit, singing every word.
“Virgin” marks Lorde’s fourth studio album, and her first since she went acoustic with 2021’s “Solar Power.” Making much of “Virgin” in collaboration with Caroline Polachek and Charli xcx producer Jim-E Stack, the album is a return to the electronic landscapes of her first two records, “Melodrama” and “Pure Heroine.” Other collaborators include Grammy producer of the year Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan/ Olivia Rodrigo), Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged and Buddy Ross.
Lorde most recently performed at Glastonbury in 2022, with her first set at the U.K. fest being in 2017. Later this year, she’s set to embark on the Ultrasound World Tour, beginning in September in Austin, Texas and heading across Europe before concluding in Brooklyn, N.Y.
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