07-05-2025
Lorde Explains How Charli XCX's ‘Brat' Gave Her ‘a Kick' to Finish New Album ‘Virgin'
Lorde and Charli XCX. - Credit: Marc Piasecki/WireImage; Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty Images
Brat was Rolling Stone's album of the year for 2024, and judging from what Lorde has been saying about Charli XCX's record, it was probably hers, too. 'I'd been trying to express [myself] in this naked way, and then Brat came out, and she was kind of doing that from the other side of the coin almost,' Lorde told BBC Radio 1 on Wednesday.
The whole album became something like a revelation to the artist. 'Brat coming out really gave me a kick in a lot of ways,' Lorde said. 'It forced me to further define what I was doing [with Virgin], because Charli had so masterfully defined everything about Brat, and I knew that what I was doing was very distinct to that.'
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Lorde and Charli XCX collaborated on a remix of Brat's 'Girl, So Confusing,' a song that fans decided hinted at jealousy Charli felt for Lorde. It came out on the expanded reissue, Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat. In the final chorus, Lorde exclaims, 'I ride for you, Charli.' Lorde told the BBC she appreciated the vulnerability of making the remix, which gave her a new perspective on her own music. They performed the song together in April at Coachella.
'It's an amazing thing when a peer throws the gauntlet down like that,' Lorde said. 'You're like, 'OK, I've got to pick it up.' I've spoken to a lot of peers who've all had the same feeling.'
The same day, Lorde announced she would be releasing Virgin on June 27. She described her album, which will feature the guests Dev Hynes, Daniel Nigro, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, and Buddy Ross, as '100% written in blood.' She has not announced any further collaborations with Charli XCX.
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