Divergent Beats

Lorde just hit refresh on pop culture—again. After nearly four years of radio silence (and sunshine), the alt-pop priestess has risen with a new single that feels like a Polaroid from your past: “What Was That?” It dropped today, and trust us—this isn’t just a song. It’s a feeling, a memory, a whispered “remember when?” curled up in sonic form.

And in true Lorde fashion, she didn’t just release a track. She orchestrated a mood.

It started with a TikTok. Yep, her first TikTok ever. A casual 15-second snippet, her voice floating over guitar as she strolled through Washington Square Park. Caption? Nonexistent. Instagram? Wiped clean. Website? Black screen. Profile pics? Just a water bottle. The message? Reset everything. Prepare yourself.

We didn’t know it yet, but that clip was the beginning of a new era—her fourth, to be exact. “What Was That?” is the lead single of Lorde’s next album, and if this track is any hint, we’re about to dive headfirst into a journal of youthful chaos, romantic nostalgia, and emotional clarity.

“MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up / We kissed for hours straight, but baby, what was that?”

Boom. That’s how she hits you—no filter, no polish, just those gut-punch lyrics that feel like a screenshot from your Notes app circa 2015. She sings about “the best cigarette of my life” and it’s like: wait, did she just unlock my high school trauma?

Lorde’s never been one to shy away from existential longing, but here she wraps it in a delicate punch of vulnerability. The production? Co-crafted by Dev Hynes (yes, Blood Orange himself) and Jim-E Stack, meaning it’s both minimal and emotionally massive. This isn’t just pop. It’s therapy with a beat drop.

So, what was that?

It’s Lorde reminding us how powerful a well-timed memory can be. How youth is both fleeting and forever. How even your messiest love story deserves to be turned into a lyric and screamed in the middle of a public fountain.

“What Was That?” isn’t just a comeback—it’s a confrontation. With who we were. With who we loved. And with who we’re becoming. Lorde isn’t asking you to dance this time—she’s asking you to remember.

And you will.

What do you think?

Here our emotional music tracker:

Divergent beats Team – Ivan Gorini Freelance Journalist