Lorde Plays ‘What Was That' for Fans in NYC After Cops Shut Down Earlier Gathering
Lorde texted her fans to meet her 'in the park' on Tuesday and those who figured it out headed to New York's Washington Square Park in droves. The nearly 10-acre park in Lower Manhattan was swarmed with hoards of people as the star stood over the crowd and blasted her new single 'What Was That' from speakers.
Wearing jeans and a bikini under a white shirt, Lorde danced to the lyrics: 'Since l was seventeen, I gave you everything/Now, we wake from a dream/Well, baby, what was that?' Fans cheered on the singer as they recorded the impromptu moment.
More from Rolling Stone
Lorde Unleashes New Era With Hypnotic Synth-Pop Stunner 'What Was That'
Lorde Says Her New Era Will Change Everything: 'This Is Gonna Be Crazy, You Have No Idea'
Lorde Really Likes This Fancy Water Bottle
An earlier gathering was shut down by park rangers and local police, who reportedly told those gathered that the event was cancelled. Around that same time, Lorde took to Instagram stories to address the situation, writing: 'Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down I am truly Amazed by how many of you showed up !!!' The singer-songwriter added: 'But they're telling me you gotta disperse … I'm so sorry.'
In a statement, a DCPI Spokesperson, said that 'officers were alerted of an unscheduled event inside of the park' at around 6:47 p.m. on Tuesday. 'A sound and parks permit is required to have a concert in a New York City Park,' the statement continued. 'This individual did not possess either. Organizers of the event were informed they could not perform and they left the location.' The DCPI did not identify the individual as the Grammy winner.
Earlier this month, Lorde teased 'What Was That' with her first-ever TikTok video. In the video, she is seen walking through the same park, listening to a preview of the single. She has since announced that she'll be releasing the debut single off her fourth album on April 25.
In lieu of her newsletter as a means of updating her fans, Lorde has been connecting with her followers via text. She released a voice memo after appearing at Coachella to perform 'Girl, so confusing' with Charli XCX. In it, she talked about the performance and previewed her new era a little more.
'I just wanted to say hi because everything is about to change and these are really the last moments where it's just us, which is crazy but so right,' Lorde said. 'I'm so ready. I didn't know if I'd ever be able to say that, but I am. I'm so thankful for your patience. I've felt your love, I've felt you right there. This is gonna be crazy, you have no idea.'
The audio notes seem to be part of a quicker, off-the-cuff way Lorde wants to communicate new music to her audience. 'I'm in the zone, not wanting to think too hard about how to communicate,' Lorde said. 'I don't want to be stressing about capturing the moment with the right language. What if it's just about saying it, maybe getting it wrong, and that being okay?'
This article was updated on April 22 at 9:28 p.m. ET to include news of Lorde's appearance at Washington Square Park in NYC.
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Instagram Says Trial Reels Have Helped Creators Significantly Increase Their Reach
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Instagram's trial Reels have been available for just on six months now, and IG is keen to get more creators trying out its audience sampling feature, in order to help boost content performance. As you can see in this example sequence, trial Reels are shown to a selection of users who don't follow your profile, which can give you early insight into the likely performance of your Reel. To be clear, trial Reels are not displayed to your followers, either in the main Feed or via the Reels tab. The idea is that this gives you an unbiased assessment of content quality, while also helping you potentially reach a broader audience. Which some have also used as a growth hack of sorts, in that you can get your content in front of a broader audience in the app by only showing your Reels to people who don't follow you. Within that, you can also re-post older posts as trial Reels as well, and some creators have found this to be an effective way to build their audience. Another element to consider. 'Approximately 24 hours after sharing a trial reel, you can view engagement data, such as views, likes, comments and shares. The more trial reels you create, the more insights you'll have to compare against other trial reels and the more understanding you'll have on what might perform best.' You're limited to 20 trial Reels per day, but outside of that, you can test and measure your initial Reels' response, which can then help to inform your content strategy. And for those who are using trial Reels, they have proven effective: 'After trying trial reels, 40% of creators started posting reels more often and of those who did, 80% saw an increase in reels reach from non-followers.' So it can help to guide your thinking on what to post, while you can also easily convert trial Reels into regular posts, which will then be shared with your followers. It could be a valuable tool in your IG strategy, and as Instagram notes, many creators are finding this a valuable tool for audience sampling. And IG clearly wants more creators to try it out. If you are thinking about adopting trial Reels, you need to have a professional account (though IG also says that some creators without a professional account may have access to trial reels as part of ongoing testing). You can activate a trial Reel in the publish element of the Reels upload process. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Love Island USA' Contestant Yulissa Escobar Apologizes for Using Racial Slur After Being Kicked Off Show: ‘I Didn't Know Better Then, but I Do Now'
'Love Island USA' contestant Yulissa Escobar has released a statement apologizing for using racial slurs in past podcast clips that resurfaced online. 'In those clips, I used a word I never should've used, a racial slur,' Escobar wrote on her Instagram account. 'I used it ignorantly, not fully understanding the weight, history, or pain behind it. I wasn't trying to be offensive or harmful, but I recognize now that intention doesn't excuse impact. And the impact of that word is real. It's tied to generations of trauma, and it is not mine to use.' More from Variety 'Love Island USA' Is Back: Here's How to Watch Season 7 Online 'Love Island' Spinoff 'Beyond the Villa' Greenlit for Summer Premiere With Cast Including JaNa, Serena, Leah and Other Season 6 Stars Luminate Streaming Ratings: 'Cobra Kai,' 'Love Island USA,' 'Find Me Falling' and 'Hillbilly Elegy' Top TV and Film Charts July 19-25 She continued: 'At the time, I was speaking casually in conversation, not thinking deeply or critically about what I was saying. But that doesn't take away from how wrong it was. The truth is, I didn't know better then, but I do now. I've taken the time to reflect, to learn, and to grow from that moment.' Escobar was removed from the villa during the second episode of Season 7, which aired on Peacock on Wednesday, with minimal context about the reason behind her departure. Shortly after Peacock announced the original 'Love Island USA' cast ahead of its June 3 premiere, fans exposed the ex-islander for her controversial past, vowing to vote her off the show once submissions opened. In the clips obtained by TMZ, she is heard saying the N-word several times while discussing past relationships. 'I've changed a lot since then, not just in how I speak, but in how I show up, how I carry myself, and how I honor the experiences of others,' Escobar wrote. 'Growth means recognizing when you were wrong, even if it's uncomfortable, and choosing to move forward with humility and accountability.' In her apology, Escobar also addressed claims of false statements about her character circulating online since her exit. 'There have also been fake statements circulating, things written or said by others that don't reflect me or my heart,' Escobar continued in her post. 'I want to clarify that this is my voice and my words. I don't need anyone to speak for me. I'm choosing to speak for myself because I take full ownership of my actions. Do not listen to the fake statements. This is my official statement. This is me speaking directly to you. To those who are disappointed or offended, I understand, and I apologize. I am sorry.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?' What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Clumsy Kitten Napping on Dad's Guitar Is the Definition of Cuteness Overload
We've all seen countless adorable videos of babies (both human and animal) sleeping, but have you ever seen one of a kitten napping on a guitar as dad plays and sings? TikToker Elgunnasibli has been posting videos of his tiny kitten doing just that, and it's the cutest thing you'll see today. The video is a montage of clips showing all the times his 'clumsy kitten' has slept so soundly on his guitar that he slips right off it! We can't get enough of the cuteness and could watch it on repeat all day! Swoon! What an adorable kitten! Now we need to learn to play the guitar and then get a kitten! Elgunnasibili's video has racked up millions of views and has more than a thousand loved it! @Abiska Aveely got more than 25 thousand likes when they said, "The fact that one day they'll be too big to do this is so sad!" @LazyPaws added, "He knows you're always gonna catch him. That's why. He trusts you with all his life." @Jus Samanka agreed, "The dad reflex is so real!"Commenter @julianyeen asked, "I wonder if the vibrations feel like purring, so they think you're purring at them?!" We thought that was a reasonable guess but wondered if cats really enjoy music. According to PBS, not human music. "Cats, in fact, do enjoy music, but they don't enjoy human music — at least according to new research. A study recently published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science believes that in order for our feline friends to enjoy music, it has to be species-specific music." Species-specific music? The article went on to explain what that means. It's music "that fits into how the animal communicates, writes University of Wisconsin psychologists and study authors Megan Savage and Charles Snowdon. 'We have developed a theoretical framework that hypothesizes that in order for music to be effective with other species, it must be in the frequency range and with similar tempos to those used in natural communication by each species.' Curious to hear what cat music sounds like? You can check it out here. Clumsy Kitten Napping on Dad's Guitar Is the Definition of Cuteness Overload first appeared on PetHelpful on May 22, 2025
