Lorde to Release New Album Virgin in June

Lorde’s new album, titled Virgin, is slated for release this summer, on June 27, as the singer announced on her social media. The album promises to mark a fresh chapter in her career, with 11 tracks, including the recently unveiled single “What Was That.”

Breaking from tradition, Lorde has parted ways with Jack Antonoff, the producer behind her earlier works Melodrama (2017) and Solar Power (2021). For Virgin, she takes the helm as co-producer alongside Jim E-Stack, known for his work with Bon Iver and Charli XCX. The album also boasts an impressive roster of collaborators, including Blood Orange, Frank Ocean’s frequent collaborator Buddy Ross, Dan Nigro (who has worked with Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan), British sophisti-pop artist Fabiana Palladino, and American R&B musician Andrew Aged.

Alongside the announcement, Lorde shared a heartfelt message with her fans via a newsletter:

“The album’s color is clear. Like bathwater, windows, ice, saliva. Utter transparency. The language is simple, unsentimental. Where possible, sounds align. I sought to see myself fully. To craft a document that captures my femininity: raw, primal, innocent, elegant, spiritual, masculine.”

She admitted to feeling both pride and trepidation about the project. Yet, in her own words, there’s no hiding now—Lorde believes true freedom comes from pouring one’s deepest self into music.

Virgin will be Lorde’s first release in four years, following her 2021 album Solar Power, which remains her most recent work to date. That record, however, was met with lukewarm reviews and lackluster chart performance, often cited as her least successful effort. But the tide may be turning. Early buzz suggests Virgin could herald a triumphant return, with the lead single “What Was That” tipped to crack the Billboard Hot 100’s top 40—a feat Lorde hasn’t achieved since 2017.