Hammer

HammerSingle by Lorde
General information
Artist	Lorde
Released	June 20, 2025
Genre	Pop
Length	3:13
Album	Virgin
Label	Universal New Zealand • Republic Records
Producer(s)	Lorde, Jim-E Stack, Buddy Ross
Songwriter(s)	Ella Yelich O'Connor, James Harmon Stack
Singles chronology
Previous	"Man Of The Year"
Current	"Hammer"
Virgin chronology
Current track	"Hammer"
Next track	"What Was That"

"Hammer" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, serving as the opening track on her fourth studio album, Virgin. It was released as the album's third and final single on June 20, 2025, through Universal Music New Zealand and Republic Records.

Background

"Hammer" is described as an "ode to city life and horniness", reflecting Lorde's exploration of themes like desire, vulnerability, and the complexities of modern life. The track features a punchy, pop-influenced sound, produced by Jim-E Stack, and has been noted for its dynamic energy and emotional depth.

On May 15, 2025, an article in Rolling Stone was published about Lorde, which also touched on the song. In the piece, Lorde said:

[Chappell Roan] asked me this [how she identifies now]. She was like, ‘So, are you nonbinary now?’ And I was like, ‘I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man.’ I know that’s not a very satisfying answer, but there’s a part of me that is really resistant to boxing it up.

—via Rolling Stone.

On May 28, Lorde announced the tracklist for Virgin via her social media platforms, revealing “Hammer” as the album’s opening track.

On June 18, she unveiled the single’s cover art alongside a teaser video. Shot by Talia Chetrit (a photographer known for her raw portraiture and minimalist still lifes) the visual presentation reflected the album’s overarching themes of clarity and transparency. A brief audio snippet accompanied the announcement, offering a glimpse into the song’s bold, electronic-influenced direction. Lorde described the track as “an ode to city life and horniness tbh”.

Release

Upon the release of the music video, which premiered on the same day of the single's release, Lorde shared a note on her official website, writing:

MAGIC JEWELRY. NINE MOONS. LARRY THE PIGEON MAN. FLIRTING WITH THE GUY AT MNZ. OVULATION. CRISP SPRING SUN. IMMENSE GRATITUDE TO BE ALIVE. BRAIDING WITH LANGUAGE. BUDDY’S GRANULAR SYNTH. LOGIC OPEN ON THE PLANE. BIG BREAKTHROUGH IN LONDON. FIRST SONG SENT TO MIX. ALWAYS TRACK 1. THE SOUND OF MY REBIRTH.

This poetic stream-of-consciousness entry reads like a scrapbook of sensations—part diary, part spell. It captures the essence of the Virgin era: sensual, grounded, radiant, and reborn.

Critical reception

Pitchfork described the track as "punchier and more pop" than the previous singles, praising Jim-E Stack's production for its momentum and noting that Lorde delivers the lyrics with urgency and presence. The Fader called the song "a furiously bubbling rush of drums" with "a truly addictive vocal oscillation", emphasizing its sense of release and euphoria. The outlet also highlighted the lyrical imagery, describing it as filled with "flashes of unrestrained euphoria", such as "a fountain's mist hitting the face" and "an impromptu piercing on Canal St".

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
There's a heat in the pavement, my mercury's raising
Don't know if it's love or if it's ovulation
When you're holding a hammer, everything looks like a nail
The mist from the fountain is kissing my neck
The liquid crystal is in my grip
Anyone with a snake tongue, I show 'em the chambers of my heart

[Pre-Chorus]
Now I know you don't deal much in love and affection
But I really do think there could be a connection
I run and I sing and I skip and I dance
Some days I'm a woman, some days I'm a man, oh

[Chorus]
I might have been born again
I'm ready to feel like I don't have the answers
Thеre's peace in thе madness over our heads
Let it carry me oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, on

[Post-Chorus]
On
Ah
Ah

[Verse 2]
Today I'll go to Canal Street, they're piercing my ears
I'm making a wish when the needle goes in
Take an aura picture, read it and tell me who I am (Tell me who I am)

[Pre-Chorus]
Now I know you don't deal much in love and affection
But I really do think you can make an exception
It's a beautiful life, so I play truant
I jerk tears and they pay me to do it, oh

[Chorus]
I might have been born again
I'm ready to feel like I don't have the answers
There's peace in the madness over our heads
Let it carry me oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, on

[Post-Chorus]
On
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah, ah, ah
Ah

[Outro]
Let it break me down till I'm just a wreck
Till I'm just a voice living in your head
It's a fucked-up world (Ah), been to hell and back
But I've sent you a postcard from the edge
The edge
Mm, oh
Oh

Music video

Music video	Information
	Premiere	June 20, 2025
	Filmed	Hampstead Heath, London
	Director	Renell Medrano
	Producer	Maggie Curwin
	Production co	Ice Studios
	Exec. producer	Jessica Moloney
	Editor	Joseph Taylor
	Choreographer
	Length	3:13

Background

The music video premiered on YouTube on June 20, 2025. Directed by Renell Medrano, the video exudes a raw, sensual energy that feels both intimate and unfiltered. Shot in London’s iconic Hampstead Heath, it artfully blends the untamed beauty of nature with moments of quiet intimacy.

Synopsis

Lorde "dancing, swimming, and spending time in nature", and includes a variety of scenes such as her getting a butt tattoo in the woods and kissing someone in a car. Lorde is seen dancing freely, playfully interacting with urban wildlife like pigeons and moving through dreamlike landscapes that mirror the song’s moody, magnetic pulse.