Lorde delivered a stunning surprise performance on the Woodsies Stage during day three of Glastonbury Festival 2025 at Worthy Farm, celebrating the release day of her electrifying new album, ‘Virgin’. Hours after slyly confirming the 11:30 a.m. secret set via Instagram on Thursday, hundreds of devoted fans packed the area early, eager to witness the album performed live for the first time. Dressed symbolically in all-white and backed by a four-piece band, Lorde captivated the crowd by playing ‘Virgin’ straight through, opening with the pulsating ‘Hammer’ and igniting the stage with the energetic ‘What Was That’. Highlights included the defiant ‘Shapeshifter’ – where she flashed a silver bra mid-performance – and the intense ‘Man of the Year’, which saw her writhing dramatically on the stage floor.
Midway through the immersive set, Lorde paused to address the sea of fans, her voice thick with emotion. “This is fucking sick. Thank you so much for being here with us on the day that ‘Virgin’ is born,” she declared. “We decided to play the whole record for you from front to back. This may be a one-of-one, you know?” She then shared a vulnerable revelation: “This record took me a lot. I didn’t know if I’d make another record to be honest, but I’m back here completely free. And I’m so grateful to you for waiting.” Following the album’s journey through the ethereal ‘Current Affairs’ and the emotionally charged ‘David’, Lorde unleashed a further surprise: encore performances of her massive hits ‘Ribs’ and ‘Green Light’. As fitting green lasers sliced through the air, the crowd transformed from attentive listeners into a rowdy, singing mosh pit, shouting every word in a euphoric climax.
Marking her fourth studio album and her first since the acoustic-leaning ‘Solar Power’ (2021), ‘Virgin’ signifies a powerful return to the electronic soundscapes that defined her seminal works ‘Melodrama’ and ‘Pure Heroine’. Lorde crafted much of the album in collaboration with Jim-E Stack (producer for Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX), alongside contributions from Grammy Producer of the Year Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo), Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged, and Buddy Ross. This triumphant Glastonbury appearance follows her previous sets at the iconic UK festival in 2017 and 2022. Later this year, Lorde will embark on the extensive Ultrasound World Tour, kicking off in September in Austin, Texas, traversing Europe, and culminating in Brooklyn, N.Y.
(Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
The Pop Blog general news and updates, mostly from press releases and conferences.