The announcement of Virgin comes shortly after the release of her comeback single, “What Was That,” which she co-created with collaborators Jim-E Stack, Daniel Nigro, and others. The track is one of the 11 songs that will feature on the upcoming album.
Lorde worked closely with Jim-E Stack in producing Virgin, with additional contributions from Nigro, Fabiana Palladino, Inc. No World’s Andrew Aged, Buddy Ross, and Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes. Spike Stent and Tom Elmhirst were responsible for mixing the album, while Chris Gehringer handled mastering.
In a heartfelt message to her fans, Lorde described the essence of the album: “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.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Lorde (@lorde)
Lorde expressed her emotional connection to the album, writing, “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.”
Although her previous album, Solar Power, was released in 2021, Lorde has continued to keep busy with various projects. She followed up the album with a re-recorded EP of Solar Power songs sung in Māori and released several visuals for the record, including music videos for “Oceanic Feeling” and “The Path.” In addition, Lorde collaborated with other artists, including a cover of Rosalía’s “Hentai,” and joined Charli XCX for a song titled “Girl, So Confusing Featuring Lorde.”
Fans of Lorde can look forward to Virgin in June, which promises to be another intimate and raw exploration of her artistry.