Latest news with #Ultrasound
1News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- 1News
Lorde holds surprise Auckland performance
Following her chaotically joyful pop-up in Washington Square Park in New York and surprise crashing of a Sydney nightclub on Tuesday, rumours were swirling on Wednesday — would Lorde cross the ditch to anoint the Auckland fans who had controversially been left out of the initial Ultrasound tour dates? Around 1pm on Wednesday when Lorde shared a not-so-cryptic Story to Instagram suggesting an appearance in Auckland, 'Lorde Reddit' and 'Lorde Twitter' were frenzied with speculation around possible locations. Lorde's summer playground Cheltenham Beach, nightlife hub K Rd and Britomart were on the shortlist. Soon after, fans who were signed up to Lorde's text newsletter - an intimate communication channel she initiated for the Virgin album roll-out - received a text: "Auckland I wanna play you something.. Meet me in the city tonight? Message me if you're keen". Watch video from the performance on TVNZ+ Around 3:30PM, fans started to convene in Britomart to await further instruction. A few chosen ones received a follow up text: "Okkkk see you and a +1 tonight *X-ray emoji* Meet me at 8:00. Send me your names and bring id. Location to follow in a bit x x x x". ADVERTISEMENT Multiple texts were sent with different times to arrive at the location, with the first starting at 8pm. Those who didn't receive a text were quick to dismiss them as fake, in disbelief that some could miss out on the event. It was rumoured there were only 40 invites sent. Around 7:20PM the location was sent to those who were invited - the YMCA on the corner of Pitt St and Vincent St. Fans eagerly wait for entry into the mysterious event. (Source: I was lucky enough to claim a friend's plus one and headed up the hill to meet a small line forming outside the YMCA. Within half an hour the line grew to a large crowd of "invite receivers", "plus ones" and "no invites and no plus ones". As it settled in that some would be missing out on whatever was about to happen, the invites became extremely coveted. Girls began silent auctions for tickets, writing "$100", "$150" on their phones in big text and holding it up to their foreheads - hoping to catch the eye of someone who was willing to trade in their once in a lifetime experience for cash. "Big fan" Mitch, who was waiting in line early on, said his friend Sam was "very generous" for giving him his plus one. Kat, who was in the first 8:00pm group to witness the mysterious event, said that her plus one Caitlin would be naming her firstborn after her. ADVERTISEMENT Maddy and Anika, two fans who didn't receive an invite, stood in line hopeful that they were able to get in - "We'll find a way! You only live once." They had already been to Albert Park and Britomart to find Lorde before the location was revealed. At 8pm, the first group were ushered in with strict security. Around half an hour later, they were escorted out the side door of the YMCA, appearing bewildered and elated. Some of the crew from the event came out into the YMCA lobby to debrief - one of those was Terrence O'Connor - a photographer, creative director and digital strategist who is a friend and collaborator of some the world's biggest stars right now - Charli XCX, HAIM, and Benito "Benny Drama" Skinner. It was clear that this was not going to be an off the cuff appearance by Lorde, but one that, like Washington Square Park, has been meticulously crafted by industry masterminds for maximum virality and content extraction. Then it was time for my group. We were escorted into the building, handing over our phones and any recording devices. We were led down a stairwell into a pitch black toilet cubicle. There were a couple of small cameras mounted on the walls. We chattered for a bit, wondering what was about to happen and adjusting our bodies to the small, dark space until one of the toilet doors swung open and Lorde stepped out into the darkness - "hi" she said, in her unmistakable cool register. "I knew Lorde was gonna come out of the toilet!" one of the group laughed. Fans screamed and clapped, and Lorde found her place in the centre of the crowd in the bathroom cubicle. She thanked us for coming and expressed how special it was that she was about to share some of her new album with us. She pulled a lighter out of her pocket and sparked it, throwing shadows on her face and indicating to those behind the scenes to hit play on her single 'What Was That'. She sang and danced to the music amongst the crowd. The speaker was hidden behind one of the toilet doors and the sub-bass rattled the room. One of her team crouched above one of the toilet cubicles filming on his iPhone. Speaking inbetween songs in intimate moments, she acknowledged the importance of performing to the hometown fans, the ones who have been there since Pure Heroine 12 years ago. "We drink the same water, we swim at the same beaches." It felt like an apology for the fumbled tour announcement, and a promise. ADVERTISEMENT Fans lucky enough to attend left with a paper-towel with album artwork and the tracklist (the first instance fans have had to view the complete album). (Source: She pulled out a lighting case from one of the toilet cubicles and stood on it to create an impromptu stage. She played three more songs, all triggered by the spark of her lighter - still the only light in the room. She played her upcoming single, Man Of The Year, another unreleased single titled Current Affairs, Ribs and a fourth single from Virgin, Broken Glass. Deeper into the performance the toilet cubicle transformed into a tiny toilet nightclub with subtle use of laser and haze. By the end of the set, the walls were wet with sweat. After 20 minutes, she left the room to prep for the next group to come through. On exit from the toilet we were given a paper-towel from the bathroom dispenser with album artwork and the tracklist (the first instance fans have had to view the complete album). Each paper towel is numbered out of 96 and signed by Lorde. She revealed during one of the quiet moments that the Royals music video was partly filmed in that bathroom. Many fans will have been left disappointed by not experiencing it, but for those who did pass through, Wednesday's event felt like Lorde's love letter to Auckland. While our proximity to the world means we won't always get the biggest thing, sometimes we get something that is smaller, modest and intangibly special instead. By Sigrid Yiakmis of Watch video from the performance on TVNZ+
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Lorde crashes a Lorde-themed nightclub event in Sydney
It comes after the 28-year-old singer recently announced a new album called Virgin and her Ultrasound world tour. It will be her first record since Solar Power in 2021 and follows the release of her single What Was That earlier in 2025. Lorde – who shot to global fame as a teenager with her signature track Royals – has released three albums and, according to a media release, Virgin will showcase a 'bold evolution in her sound and storytelling'. The announcement comes just more than 18 months after the Green Light hitmaker revealed she had been working on new music while living in London. The New Zealand pop star told fans in an email newsletter that she had been living in the British capital since mid-2023. 'Things feel clear here. I haven't seen many friends; mostly, I'm alone with my thoughts,' she said. 'I go swimming, I go to work, I walk home or take the train, I eat in my kitchen, I go to bed thinking about what I'm making. I'm starting to miss my friends and family, like a vitamin I'm deficient in.' Lorde also revealed in the same update that she has been battling a mystery illness. At the time, she noted that she had stopped taking her regular medication after spending more than a decade on it and found herself becoming ill on several occasions. 'The little yellow pill I took every morning for thousands of mornings since I was 15. My gut isn't working properly, my skin is worse than ever, I've gotten sick half a dozen times.' Lorde went on to explain to fans that she has 'never really listened' to her body and has used this year to focus on her health after 'ignoring' it for so long. Virgin will be released on June 27.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lorde Says She's ‘In the Middle Gender-Wise': ‘I'm a Woman Except When I'm a Man'
Lorde still identifies as a cis woman, and her pronouns remain unchanged, but in a new Rolling Stone cover story, she opened up about growing more comfortable with the fluidity of her gender expression as she worked on her upcoming album, Virgin. As she puts it on the album's opening track: 'Some days I'm a woman/Some days I'm a man.' Lorde said she is 'in the middle gender-wise,' and to clarify what this meant, she mentioned a recent conversation with Chappell Roan, who's become a good friend. Roan asked Lorde flat-out if she was nonbinary, and Lorde tells RS she responded, 'I'm a woman except for the days when I'm a man.' More from Rolling Stone Lorde Was Surprised When 'Ribs' Returned to the Charts: 'It's Crazy That It Works on People Still' Lorde's Ultrasound Tour 2025: How to Get Tickets Online Before They're Gone Lorde Reveals Past Struggle With Eating Disorder: 'I Felt So Hungry and So Weak' She added, 'I know that's not a very satisfying answer, but there's a part of me that is really resistant to boxing it up.' For Lorde, this new way of thinking about gender has been part of a larger creative, emotional, and physical journey she embarked after releasing her 2021 album, Solar Power, and as she worked on Virgin. She called this process 'the ooze' — an act of letting herself take up more space in all areas of her life. 'My gender got way more expansive when I gave my body more room,' she said. A pivotal, early moment came in 2023 when Lorde tried on a pair of men's jeans and sent a photo to producer Jim-E Stack, her main collaborator on Virgin, to get his opinion. At the time, the two were still figuring out what the album would sound and feel like, and Lorde recalled Stack responding, 'I want to see the you that's in this picture represented in the music.' Lorde added, 'This was before I had any sense of my gender broadening at all.' Another key moment was Lorde's decision to go off birth control for the first time since she was 15. She said it made her feel like she had 'cut some sort of cord between myself and this regulated femininity. It sounds crazy, but I felt that all of a sudden, I was off the map of femininity. And I totally believed that that allowed things to open up.' And when she wrote the Virgin song 'Man of the Year,' Lorde said she was sitting on the floor of her living room, trying to visualize a version of herself 'that was fully representative of how [her] gender felt in that moment.' She saw herself in men's jeans, a gold chain, and duct tape on her chest. She created that look in the moment, and admitted that what she saw in the mirror 'scared' her. 'I didn't understand it,' Lorde said. 'But I felt something bursting out of me. It was crazy. It was something jagged. There was this violence to it.' (This look Lorde describes has some resonances with what she wore to the 2025 Met Gala, which Lorde previously called an 'Easter egg' for the album.) Despite how deeply personal this journey was, Lorde acknowledged that she did not find her newfound sense of gender identity to be 'radical,' especially in light of the Trump administration's war against the trans community. 'I see these incredibly brave young people, and it's complicated,' Lorde said. 'Making the expression privately is one thing, but I want to make very clear that I'm not trying to take any space from anyone who has more on the line than me. Because I'm, comparatively, in a very safe place as a wealthy, cis, white woman.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lorde's Ultrasound World Tour Presale Is Already Starting
What comes after Lorde summer? It's looking like Lorde fall. Not long after releasing her highly-anticipated album Virgin in June, the New Zealand artist will hit the road across the U.S., U.K., and Europe from September 17 through December 9. If the energy of her impromptu Washington Square Park performance is anything to go off of, fans can probably expect to be surprised when Lorde takes the stage. 'Every show I play is a collaboration between you and me,' she wrote in a letter to fans. 'We meet in a room and we make music together, our bodies and the machines in search of something bigger together. 12 years of meeting up and making sound that's just for us. Since last time I've been stripping away unnecessary layers, finding us more room to move. I think that Ultrasound could be our masterpiece. Very proud and excited to be bringing my most talented friends in support.' Lorde has a handful of cool musicians joining the circuit with her, including Blood Orange, The Japanese House, Nilüfer Yanya, Chanel Beads, Empress Of, Jim-E Stack (who co-produced Virgin), and Oklou. Here's what to know about Lorde's upcoming 2025 world tour, titled Ultrasound. Pre-sale begins on Wednesday, May 14 at 10 A.M. local time. Sign Up Here The general sale begins on Friday, May 16 at 10 A.M. local time. See the full schedule with guests for each show below. Wednesday, September 17 at Moody Centerwith The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Friday, September 19 at United Center with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Saturday, September 20 at The Pinnacle with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Tuesday, September 23 at Schottenstein Center with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Wednesday, September 24 at Scotiabank Arena with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Friday, September 26 at TD Garden with Blood Orange, The Japanese House Saturday, September 27 at Bell Centre with Blood Orange, The Japanese House Tuesday, September 30 at Wells Fargo Center with Blood Orange, The Japanese House Wednesday, October 1 at Madison Square Garden with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Friday, October 3 at Petersen Events Center with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Saturday, October 4 at The Anthem with The Japanese House, Chanel Beads Tuesday, October 7 at Gas South Arena with The Japanese House, Empress Of Thursday, October 9 at Chaifetz Arena with The Japanese House, Empress Of Friday, October 10 at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena with The Japanese House, Empress Of Saturday, October 11 at The Armory with The Japanese House, Empress Of Tuesday, October 14 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with Blood Orange, The Japanese House Friday, October 17 at MGM Grand Garden Arena with Blood Orange, The Japanese House Saturday, October 18 at Kia Forum with Blood Orange, The Japanese House, Empress Of Sunday, October 19 at The Greek Theatre with The Japanese House, Empress Of Tuesday, October 21 at Moda Center with The Japanese House, Empress Of Wednesday, October 22 at Climate Pledge Arena with The Japanese House, Empress Of Sunday, November 9 at Rockhal with Oklou Monday, November 10 at Zénith de Paris - La Villettewith Jim-E Stack Saturday, November 15 at AO Arena with Blood Orange, Jim-E Stack Sunday, November 16 at O2 Arena with Nilüfer Yanya, Jim-E Stack Wednesday, November 19 at OVO Hydro with Nilüfer Yanya, Jim-E Stack Thursday, November 20 at Utilita Arena with Nilüfer Yanya, Jim-E Stack Saturday, November 22 at RDS Simmonscourt with Nilüfer Yanya, Jim-E Stack Monday, November 24 at AFAS Live with Nilüfer Yanya Thursday, November 27 at Forest National with The Japanese House Saturday, November 29 at Unipol Arena with The Japanese House Sunday, November 30 at Halle 622 with The Japanese House Monday, December 1 at Zenith with The Japanese House Wednesday, December 3 at Palladium with The Japanese House Friday, December 5 at Max-Schmeling-Halle with The Japanese House Saturday, December 6 at Atlas Arena with The Japanese House Monday, December 8 at K.B. Hallen with The Japanese House Tuesday, December 9 at Annexet with The Japanese House This story will be updated. You Might Also Like The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types 100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Here's Why Lorde Didn't Work With Jack Antonoff on ‘Virgin'
After working with Jack Antonoff on her last two albums, Lorde surprised fans in April when she announced her fourth studio LP, Virgin, and the producer's name was nowhere to be found in the credits. But in a Rolling Stone cover story published Thursday (May 15), the New Zealand pop star finally explained why she chose not to work with her longtime collaborator this time around. Calling Antonoff a 'positive, supportive' teammate, she revealed that she simply felt like it was time to make a change. More from Billboard Everything We Know About Lorde's 'Virgin' So Far Andy Bell Confirms His Place in Reunited Oasis Lineup Snoop Dogg Drops 'Iz It a Crime' Album Featuring Sexyy Red, Wiz Khalifa & Pharrell: Stream It Now 'I'm very vibes-based,' she told the publication. 'I just have to trust when my intuition says to keep moving.' For Virgin, Lorde's intuition led her to Jim-E Stack, who executive produced the album alongside the 'Royals' singer. She also worked with producers Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross, Dan Nigro and Dev Hynes of Blood Orange on the record. Her partnership with Stack and Hynes will extend to touring when she embarks on her Ultrasound trek in September, with both collaborators serving as opening acts along with The Japanese House, Nilüfer Yanya, Chanel Beads, Empress Of and Oklou. 'Very proud and excited to be bringing my most talented friends in support,' Lorde said when she announced the tour on May 8. 'Come see what's under the skin.' Dropping June 27, Virgin will arrive four years after Lorde's last album, Solar Power. Both the 2021 LP and 2017's Melodrama were produced by Antonoff, with whom the 'Green Light' artist famously had a close friendship. 'When I came to New York, we had only written together maybe a couple of times, and we were very obsessed with each other on a creative level and as buds,' Lorde told Billboard of her dynamic with the Bleachers frontman in 2018. 'I was sort of doing nothing in New York, and we did this thing where for five days in a row, we just kept having dinner every night, just getting to know each other.' 'We still FaceTime almost every day,' she added at the time. 'When you work with someone, you sometimes think, 'Maybe it will just be for this time, and we say we're going to keep in touch but we won't.' But we really … I'm like, 'Hey, dickhead, what are you getting me for Christmas?'' The two stars were so close as friends and collaborators, they often found themselves faced with rumors that their relationship had turned romantic. Both parties, however, denied the speculation on multiple occasions, with Antonoff tweeting in 2018, 'normally i would never address rumors but i resent having the most important friendships and working relationships in my life reduced to dumb hetero normative gossip … im not seeing anyone. lol.' The next month, Lorde told fans on an Instagram Live, 'Jack and I are not dating … I love him. He's awesome, but we're not dating.' See Lorde on the cover of Rolling Stone below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
