Katelyn Benschoter-

We live in a culture where new music is constantly at our disposal. The days of waiting for music are over, and the industry has become an incredibly fast-paced business. It has become so fast-paced that if you do not release music on a routine basis, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant. When looking at megastars like Taylor Swift, who frequently releases multiple albums or projects in a single year, the way artists release music has simply been different in recent times. That being said, there are still a handful of artists who take their time with their music. They may not release music often, but when they do, it is big. One of those artists is Lorde. Lorde is known for hits like “Ribs” and “Green Light.” She has not released music since 2021 with her Solar Power album. Thus, the world has been in a Lorde drought. But, with a new video posted by Lorde on Tik Tok, it seems as if our Lorde and Savior may be returning. 

Lorde started in the music industry young, dropping her first album Pure Heroine at only sixteen years old. Now, at twenty-eight years, it seems she is gearing up to drop her fourth studio album. Lorde is known for her unique vocalizations, electronic backing tracks, and poetic lyrics. She is probably best known for her 2017 album Melodrama, but her most recent release of music was in 2021. This album did not have the same draw that some of her previous music did. She experimented with a light, summery, and overall brand new sound. Some fans (myself included) really enjoyed the new vibe she brought, but the general public was not pleased. Since the release of Solar Power, the artist has stepped away from music. It was unclear when we would hear from her again. Yet, while she has stepped out of the spotlight, fans did get a small taste of her in 2024. Lorde was featured on the Charli XCX track “Girl, so confusing.” This song was in XCX’s classic club hit style, detailing the drama between the two singers. The song reveals that the beef has been squashed between the two of them. While hearing Lorde’s voice was a delight to fans, it only made listeners miss her more. It now seems as if fans are finally going to get what they have been craving in 2025.

Charli XCX performed at this year’s Coachella music festival and one of the high moments of her set was when she sang “Girl, so confusing,” and brought out none other than Lorde herself. Not only did fans get to hear her, but they got to physically see her. Lorde is so back. It is also evident that she is back because the artist (who notably does not use social media very much) posted a short clip of new music on Wednesday, April 9th. The video shows Lorde walking down the street to a synth dance beat. In the seconds long clip, we hear the words “Since I was 17, I gave you everything / Now, we wake from a dream, well, baby what was that?” It is hard to say just when fans will get to hear the rest of this song, but it is safe to say that new music is on the way. And who knows, will this short piece of audio be the new song of the summer? Will this new music get the fame and recognition that Solar Power never got? I am one of many who are very excited for new music.

With the excitement of new music, it has me wondering: Should more artists take from Lorde’s playbook? Have we gotten used to so much music in such a short amount of time? Has society forgotten to savor music? Like any music enthusiast, new music excites me. Getting fed numerous great albums in only a few months is immensely enjoyable. But I do think our music industry has become removed from the reason why we make and enjoy music. Music is an art form and can take time. This can be seen in artists like Lorde; she takes her time and pours her soul into her music. I am not discrediting artists who do pump out music quickly–every artist has their own process. But, I think as fans, we should alleviate the pressure of needing constant new music. Plus, the wait only makes the latest music even sweeter. And I just know that whatever and whenever Lorde drops new music, it is going to taste so sweet.