Born Again – Lorde Summer Officially Kicks Off With New Album: Virgin

By Kayla Harper

 

The New Zealand born singer/songwriter Ella Yelich-O’Connor known professionally as Lorde released her highly anticipated fourth studio album, Virgin, this past week on June 27.   First announced on April 30 following the release of the lead single “What Was That?” on April 16, the announcement of Virgin took many fans by surprise as Lorde previously said she didn’t think she would release another album after 2021’s Solar Power. 

On Virgin, Lorde returns like a phoenix; rising from the ashes of her past.  Her most vulnerable, yet positive album in which she demonstrates a newfound strength and solidarity in herself we have not previously seen on any other album.  By the end of Virgin, we have been transported through the landscape of the ups-and-downs of womanhood, delving into topics of sexuality, gender, romance and self-growth, coming out the other side truly free and detached from the chains holding us down.

Before evening listening to the record this vulnerability is already conveyed through the album artwork, which is focused on ultrasound imaging -this is truly symbolic of what the album represents for Lorde, it is letting everyone see every part of her, straight through; it’s completely transparent emotionally. Prior to it’s release she explained:

“THE COLOUR OF THE ALBUM IS CLEAR. LIKE BATHWATER, WINDOWS, ICE, SPIT. FULL TRANSPARENCY. THE LANGUAGE IS PLAIN AND UNSENTIMENTAL. THE SOUNDS ARE THE SAME WHEREVER POSSIBLE. I WAS TRYING TO SEE MYSELF, ALL THE WAY THROUGH. I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DOCUMENT THAT REFLECTED MY FEMININITY: RAW, PRIMAL, INNOCENT, ELEGANT, OPENHEARTED, SPIRITUAL, MASC.

I’M PROUD AND SCARED OF THIS ALBUM. THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE. I BELIEVE THAT PUTTING THE DEEPEST PARTS OF OURSELVES TO MUSIC IS WHAT SETS US FREE.” (Lorde, via newsletter)

 

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Sonically the alternative pop project seems to be most reminiscent of Lorde’s sophomore album, Melodrama (2017) with rhythmic drum beats and synths being the main part of most instrumentals.  However, it features sprinkles of Solar Power’s (2021) mystical lyricism and whimsical approach, as well as Pure Heroine’s (2013) honesty and confrontation.

Every track flows so effortlessly to the next, blending thematically and sonically, while remaining strong as a standalone track, each offering something new to the record making it simultaneously cohesive and diverse.

The first track, also the third and final promotional single, “Hammer”, opens the album with the sound of an ultrasound which couldn’t be more perfect as we’re about to dive into eleven tracks spanned across thirty-five minutes of full emotional transparency.  Lorde describes the track as “an ode to city life and horniness” via X which is accurate.  However, it goes deeper in it’s exploration of gender when she sings “some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man”.

But like many songs on Virgin, it is deeper than the surface level meaning, On “Hammer” Lorde not only establishes how she feels in regards to her gender and sexual desire, but she also establishes her rebirth: “I might have been born again, I’m ready to feel like I don’t have the answers” (“Hammer”, 2025)  despite previously feeling consumed and overwhelmed by the chaos of her life as a musician on Solar Power where she craved escape, on Virgin she returns strong and ready to embrace the madness of it all.

“Hammer” flows into the lead single, “What Was That?”  -a synth-pop breakup anthem straight from the trenches of Melodrama, reminiscent of “Green Light” (Melodrama, 2017) in the way it confrontationally and honestly addresses a former lover over top of upbeat synths.

It was the perfect single to kick off Lorde summer, with the catchy upbeat melody and widely relatable lyrics. Lorde even says herself,  in her most recent Billboard story, in response to a question asked by Olivia Rodrigo, she made “What Was That?” the lead single because “it felt like [she] was opening [her] mouth to speak for the first time in a few years when [she] wrote it” and that felt like a sign.

Virgin is Lorde’s most introspective project yet and it almost feels like she’s figuring herself out more as the songs go on, even though many questions are left unanswered. Inspired by Tracy Emin’s art piece, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With, “Shapeshifter” is exactly as it sounds: Lorde referring to herself as a shapeshifter not only in her own identity, but in romance too.  She’s tried to be so many different version of herself in an attempt to please others and gain their validation -this theme of people-pleasing becomes quite prominent on the second half of the record in songs such as “Favourite Daughter” and “David”.

Lorde explains that the lyrics in “Shapeshifter” like many of the songs on Virgin, came from writing exactly what was happening in the moment ex. “chewing gum…” (“Shapeshifter”, 2025) she was literally chewing gum in the studio as she unintentionally wrote the opening lyrics, they simply flowed through the moment and out of her.

It makes perfect sense that “Man Of The Year” is the following track, which also happens to be the second single we heard from Virgin.  “Man Of The Year” sees Lorde ‘shapeshifting’ into a new identity, but this time for herself rather than the validation of someone else. Lorde explains that the song was written after attending GQ’s Man Of The Year award ceremony in 2023, where she felt not herself and decided the next day she was going to write a song about how she was her own man of the year.  This idea of stepping into a new identity and reclaiming a part of yourself that was either lost or previously suppressed is another common theme on the record that is especially prominent in the second half.

As previously mentioned “Favourite Daughter” is a people pleasing anthem that was initially about Lorde’s relationship with her mother, but in a way her audience as well who she is always trying to please and be loved by. Lorde’s career took off when she was only a teenager so the pressure to please and be loved by a large amount of people has been a prominent mental battle she’s dealt with for a long time.  Everything she does feels as though it’s a response to this expectation to be great in the eyes of the people watching her.

Although sex and intimacy find their way in and out of most songs on the record, they take center stage on the next two tracks.  Lorde felt proud of herself for approaching both topics on this album in a way that felt very direct and almost uncomfortable compared to the norm of how these topics are addressed in female pop music.

“Current Affairs” samples Dexta Daps single “Morning Love” (2014) which Lorde revealed in an Instagram post is something she’s been wanting to do for a while.  Whereas “Clearblue”, the vocal-only track which feels almost like an interlude, is quite literally about taking a pregnancy test after unprotected sex and preparing oneself to embrace whatever follows next Lorde explained.  Both tracks go much deeper than this surface level and seem to address the tendency for sexual desire to replace true commitment in relationships as well as hereditary trauma.

The next song “GRWM” is a growing-up/coming-of-age song which has been a topic on all of Lorde’s albums so far; Pure Heroine “Ribs” and Solar Power “Secrets From A Girl Who’s Seen It All“.   Despite GRWM being a popular acronym for the phrase “get ready with me” it actually stands for “Grown Woman” on Virgin.  In “GRWM” Lorde not only addresses her imperfections, but embraces them, confidently stepping into herself.  However, the end of the song seems to suggest this is a version of herself she wants to be, but is still looking for at times: “Been looking for a grown woman…/…I can’t find a grown woman”  (“Grown Woman”, 2025).

The way Lorde embraces herself on “GRWM” is contradicted in the next track, “Broken Glass” which is another introspective piece in which she addresses dealing with and overcoming an eating disorder.  A lot of Virgin seems to be about breaking old cycles and embracing ourselves in every aspect of who we are, part of that is admitting our weaknesses in the past and overcoming them.  This can be especialy tricky with habits such as an eating disorder in which it can be gratifying when one achieves their desired appearance, but at the expense of their health and well-being, Lorde conveys that phenomenally in this track. Which seamlessly flows into the next.

“If She Could See Me Now” is retrospective as Lorde recalls everywhere she’s been that has led her to who she is now.  It flows out of a song addressing a low point like “Broken Glass” well because it really captures the shock of taking a look back to times when we didn’t think we’d feel happy again and we realize we do. It seems to emphasize how the things that break us only build character and make us stronger/resilient in the end.  Another drum and synth heavy track that encourages us to dance and cry simultaneously while we dig into the deepest parts of ourselves, just in time for the most vulnerable track on the album, “David”.

“David” seems to bring the high built up in the previous tracks down.  It allows all the built-up tension and emotion to come crashing down in one final wave.  Lorde recalls times she was taken advantage of by her need to feel validated by her lovers, the industry etc.  However, now she knows she doesn’t “belong to anyone” and is able to approach these situations with a newfound strength, at the cost of wondering if she’ll ever be able to find love without blind conformity.  Much like the lyric in “Man Of The Year”: “who’s gonna love me like this?” it can sometimes be hard to imagine someone being able to love you despite full transparency, when all the good, bad and ugly is out in the open.  However, it’s also the most freeing feeling to let it all go.

 

Virgin sees Lorde return to each version of herself and grow into someone brand new.  The era has only just begun and we’ve already been surprised with a performance of the entire album at Glastonbury as well as the Ultrasound Tour.  In a recent post, Lorde also teased the possibility of deluxe tracks.  So much is happening and Lorde summer has only just begun!

 

RANKING 

This is my current track ranking, which is subject to change based on the second, but I wanted to add something fun and different to this review:

1. “Favourite Daughter”

2. “If She Could See Me Now”

3. “GRWM”

4. “Shapeshifter”

5. “Hammer”

6.  “David”

7. “Man Of The Year”

8. “Broken Glass”

9. “What Was That?”

10. “Current Affairs”

11. “Clearblue”

 

 

EDITORS NOTE:

Thank you for reading!  I apologize for the delay on this one. Originally I had it scheduled to go out on release day, but I just wasn’t happy with any of the drafts.  They either felt too redundant, or too similar to what I’ve done previously.  Additionally, as time went on I felt discouraged to even share my personal review of Virgin, with how many hundreds now exist on the internet, why would anyone want to read mine?  However, words of encouragement from my peers, my love for this album and seeing the huge success and support on the page last month (our biggest yet) I decided to try one more time and post this one!

 

This album has left me truly shocked, I just didn’t know where to start.  It’s basically all I’ve listened to since I came out as it just really spoke to me and the emotional weight I’ve been carrying lately.  I love love love this album and I love love love Lorde.

 

– Kayla <3