Lorde's New Single And Viral Moment Help Her Standing On The Charts

Forbes

05-05-2025

After teasing fans and joining them at a packed gathering in New York City's Washington Square Park recently, Lorde is officially back on the Billboard charts. The New Zealand-born superstar has kicked off a new era with the release of a special single, 'What Was That,' and the excitement surrounding the track — as well as her recent viral moment — has helped propel her back into the spotlight in America.
Lorde's new track "What Was That" debuts on multiple Billboard rankings this frame. It starts out with a quick arrival on two genre-specific tallies. While it launches in fairly low positions, this is just the beginning for the singer-songwriter's latest chapter.
The Grammy winner launches "What Was That" at No. 25 on the Hot Alternative Songs chart, which ranks the most consumed alternative-only tunes in the U.S. The track also enters the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs tally at No. 31.
Although it didn't sell or stream well enough to appear on charts dedicated solely to those consumption forms, it seems that between purchases, plays on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, and growing radio attention, the tune performed at a level that earned it a spot on the more general rankings.
As "What Was That" gains traction, Pure Heroine, Lorde's debut full-length, is also making a comeback. The album returns to three Billboard rankings this frame. While the new single isn't featured on the older set, excitement surrounding the tune's release — combined with her fan meet-up — has reignited interest in her breakout project. The track "Ribs" from Pure Heroine has emerged as a standout from this moment, thanks to her New York City non-concert, and it appears to be driving increased consumption of the release.
Pure Heroine reenters the top 40 on both the Top Alternative Albums (No. 22) and the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart (No. 37). At the same time, it blasts back onto the Billboard 200, which ranks the most consumed full-lengths and EPs in the country. On that tally, Lorde reappears at No. 161.
Pure Heroine has now spent at least 100 weeks on all three of the charts on which it currently appears, and its run on each one fairly matched in terms of longevity.