Earlier this month, Lorde teased new music with a snippet on TikTok, and later revealed a song titled "What Was That" is arriving on Apr. 25. Tonight she was probably going to debut it live at a surprise show in New York's Washington Square Park, but the event was canceled minutes before it was supposed to start.
The pop star sent out a text to her fans that read, "Meet me in the park," adding the time of 7 p.m. Since she'd filmed herself in Washington Square Park this morning, it wasn't a difficult message for fans to decode. The crowd was predictably big, with some attendees climbing trees for a good view. At 6:50 p.m., Lorde wrote on her Instagram story: "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down. I am truly Amazed by how many of you showed up !! But they're telling me you gotta disperse ... I'm so sorry."
lorde’s crowd at the moment pic.twitter.com/b3wHyVrfhM
— luc∀s (@luccasvevo) April 22, 2025
https://www.instagram.com/p/DIg-ng_Rf1q/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
UPDATE: The crowd barely dispersed, and Lorde's longtime collaborator Dev Hynes eventually showed up with a speaker playing "What Was That."
Blood Orange playing “What Was That”!!!!
— Lorde Updates (@LordeUpdatesBR) April 23, 2025
UPDATE 2: Around 9:30 p.m. Lorde showed at Washington Square Park and danced to "What Was That" as it played from a speaker. Watch below.
