What Was That

What Was ThatSingle by Lorde
General information
Artist	Lorde
Released	April 24, 2025
Genre	Pop • electropop • synth-pop
Length	3:29
Album	Virgin
Label	Universal New Zealand • Republic Records
Producer(s)	Lorde, Jim-E Stack, Dan Nigro
Songwriter(s)	Ella Yelich O'Connor, James Harmon Stack
Singles chronology
Previous	"Fallen Fruit"
Current	"What Was That"
Next	"Man Of The Year"
Virgin chronology
Previous track	"Hammer"
Current track	"What Was That"
Next track	"Shapeshifter"

"What Was That" is a song by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde, serving as the second track on her fourth studio album, Virgin. It was released as the album's lead single on April 24, 2025, through Universal Music New Zealand and Republic Records.

Background

Following the release of her third studio album, Solar Power, Lorde only gave sporadic updates and hints of being in the recording studio. In February 2023, she confirmed to Ensemble Magazine that she had started working on her fourth studio album, admitting that it would take her a long time to return. In July 2024, Lorde shared a brief clip of new music on her Instagram stories. The next month, it was confirmed that she teamed up with American musician Jim-E Stack for the album.

On April 9, 2025, Lorde first shared a snippet of an unreleased track to her TikTok account. The clip shows the singer walking through Washington Square Park in New York City. The song was subsequently labeled "WWT", an acronym for "What Was That". At the same time, the singer blanked her official website and her Instagram feed while changing her profile picture to a water bottle. Lorde announced the song on 16 April 2025 through her social media. She simultaneously shared the artwork on her Instagram that depicts herself in a bright red T-shirt staring at the camera while water drips from her face. The aesthetic of the picture, taken by American photographer Talia Chetrit, drew comparisons to Marina Abramović's 2010 performance The Artist Is Present.

On April 22, Lorde posted an Instagram story and sent a text message telling fans to go to Washington Square Park in New York City at 19:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC−04:00) that night. Following the attendance of a large number of fans, the event was shut down shortly before it was scheduled to begin. A spokesperson from the New York City Police Department told Vulture they were alerted to an "unscheduled event" in the park, as well as stating that Lorde "did not possess either [of the permits required]" to host the event. Lorde's collaborator Dev Hynes played the track on a portable speaker to fans, before her arrival at the park around 21:30 EDT. The next day, Lorde announced that "What Was That" would be released at midnight.

Critical reception

Robin Murray of Clash gave the song a 9/10 and noted that she is reclaiming center stage with the multi-faceted pop ambition of "Green Light", while refusing to re-tread old ground. In a positive review, Mark Beaumont of The Independent noted that Lorde "returns to what she does best: crafting melancholic, minimal yet monumental tracks for heartbroken souls." NME writer Rhian Daly gave "What Was That" four out of five stars, writing that the track lacks a "killer punch", but Lorde shines in her emotive, electric style, effectively recreating a "dance-in-the-dark" atmosphere. Rolling Stone included the song on its "Best Songs of 2025" mid-year list, and described it as "deliciously haunted by the ghosts of her Melodrama sound".

In mixed reviews of the song, Paolo Ragusa of Consequence wrote that "while it's not the most adventurous new offering from the singer, it does teem with maturity and wisdom" finding it "authentic and refreshing", but in its production "feels a lot like a step sideways than a leap in any direction". Walden Green from Pitchfork stated that while Lorde's "writing is as evocative and rich as ever", the track production is "bloodless", noting that it is less riveting than the singer's past works such as "Green Light" and "Hard Feelings/Loveless".

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
A place in the city, a chair and a bed
I cover up all the mirrors, I can't see myself yet
I wear smoke like a wedding veil
Make a meal I won't eat
Step out into the street, alone in a sea
It comes over me
Oh, I'm missing you
Yeah, I'm missing you
And all the things we used to do

[Chorus]
MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up
We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?
I remember saying then, "This is the best cigarette of my life"
Well, I want you just like that
Indio haze, we're in a sandstorm, and it knocks me out
I didn't know then that you'd never be enough for—
Since l was seventeen, I gave you everything
Now, we wake from a dream
Well, baby, what was that?

[Post-Chorus]
What was that?
Baby, what was that?

[Verse 2]
Do you know you're still with me, when I'm out with my friends?
I stare at the painted faces that talk current affairs
You had to know this was happening, you weren't feeling my heat
When I'm in the blue light, down at Baby's All Right
I face reality
I tried (I tried) to let (To let)
Whatever has to pass through me, pass through
But this is staying a while, I know
It might not let me go

[Chorus]
MDMA in the back garden, blow our pupils up
We kissed for hours straight, well, baby, what was that?
I remember saying then, "This is the best cigarette of my life"
Well, I want you just like that
Indio haze, we're in a sandstorm, and it knocks me out
I didn't know then, but you'd never be enough for me
Since l was seventeen, I gave you everything
Now, we wake from a dream
Well, baby, what was that?

[Post-Chorus]
What was that?
'Cause I want you just like that
(When I'm in the blue light, I can make it alright)
What was that?
(When I'm in the blue light, I can make it alright)
Baby, what was that?

Music video

Music video	Information
	Premiere	April 29, 2025
	Filmed	Washington Square Park, New York
	Director	Terrence O’Connor & Lorde
	Producer
	Production co	Big Kid
	Exec. producer	Will Noyce & Evan Thicke
	Editor	Dylan Edwards (Cabin Edit)
	Choreographer
	Length	3:29

Background

The music video was filmed throughout various spots in New York, including in Washington Square Park where she told her fans to join as they did a listening party for the song. It culminates in a surprise pop-up performance at Washington Square Park, originally shut down by police but eventually completed as part of the official video. Cinematically, she appears during an overcast, rainy afternoon—wet sidewalks, muted colors, and an analog camcorder feel evoke intimacy and emotional rawness.

Synopsis

Lorde is seen walking and biking alone around the East Side of Manhattan, dressed in a white button shirt and jeans, complemented with silver accessories and a keychain. At times, the shirt is left open, revealing a black bikini top. She then emerges through a manhole and arrives at Washington Square Park, where she dances as fans record her with their phones.