Virgin is the fourth studio album by New Zealand singer and songwriter Lorde. It was released on 27 June 2025 through Universal Music New Zealand and Republic Records to positive reviews from music critics. It was preceded by the singles "What Was That", "Man of the Year", and "Hammer".
Produced by Lorde alongside Jim-E Stack, the album sees her return to electronic-based sounds after her indie folk pivot with "Solar Power". To support the album, Lorde is set to embark on the Ultrasound World Tour from September to December 2025.
Background.
Lorde released her third studio album, "Solar Power", in August 2021 to polarising reviews from music critics and the public. In an email sent to fans via her newsletter subscription in 2022, the singer stated that the reception the album received was "really painful" and "confounding" to process at times. She further said that she had learned a lot from it. In July 2022, at her show at Roundhouse in London, Lorde told the audience that she was getting closer to writing anthemic pop songs, stating that the "banger will always be on the horizon." The following year, Lorde told "Ensemble" that she had a "light on inside her" and that she wanted to "move as quick" as she can to release her next album, forgoing her usual long stretches of time in between her album releases.
In March 2023, Lorde was announced as the headliner for a series of festivals in Europe. During these festivals, the singer began performing reworked versions of songs from her discography, which included incorporating more electronic elements to "Solar Power"s original guitar-based melodies; she also performed two new songs, tentatively titled "Invisible Ink" and "Silver Moon" at Boardmasters Festival in the United Kingdom. She also performed at All Together Now in Ireland, Øyafestivalen in Norway, Flow Festival in Finland, Sziget Festival in Hungary, and Paredes de Coura Festival in Portugal. The performances for these festivals received widespread acclaim from critics. This string of performances was dubbed by Lorde as the "night vision edition" of the Solar Power Tour.
In an email sent to fans later that year, the singer stated that she was "living with heartbreak again," which publications interpreted to indicate a breakup with New Zealand music executive Justin Warren, a fact she confirmed in a profile interview with "Rolling Stone". She also revealed health issues with her gut and skin. In April 2024, Lorde recorded a cover of "Take Me to the River"—originally written by American soul singer Al Green in 1974, but covered by American rock band Talking Heads in 1978—for the tribute album "" (2024). In June 2024, Lorde was featured on a remix of "Girl, So Confusing" by English singer Charli XCX, taken from her studio album "Brat" (2024). In her verse, Lorde discussed her health and body image issues. The remix, included in Charli's remix album "Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat" (2024), received widespread critical praise, and featured on various year-end and mid-decade listicles, including the top placement by publications "Exclaim!", "The Independent", and "Clash".
Writing and production.
Lorde co-produced the album alongside Jim-E Stack, with additional contributions from Dev Hynes, Dan Nigro, Fabiana Palladino, Andrew Aged and Buddy Ross. Spike Stent and Tom Elmhirst were enlisted for mixing of the record, while mastering was handled by Chris Gehringer. On parting ways with Jack Antonoff, who served as the main co-writer and producer on "Melodrama" and "Solar Power", Lorde stated that she "just has to trust when [her] intuition says to keep moving," though she referred to Antonoff as a "positive, supportive collaborator." The album incorporates a sample of the song "Morning Love" by Dexta Daps and an interpolation of the song "Suga Suga" by Baby Bash featuring Frankie J.
The album has been described as dance-pop and a return to Lorde's "signature" synth-pop sound.
Title and artwork.
The artwork, photographed by Heji Shin, depicts an X-ray image of a pelvis with a belt buckle, pant zipper, and IUD. Lorde said she viewed X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound as ways of capturing "techy but like mystical" images. In an announcement on her website, Lorde, who has synesthesia, stated that imagery of bathwater, ice, spit and windows influenced her decision to have a transparent "colour" for the album, describing it as representing "full transparency." She further stated that "Virgin" was her attempt to "make a document" that reflected her femininity, which she described as "raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc."
Lorde alluded to possible meanings of the title through screenshots shared on her Instagram. She shared it could represent a woman that is "not attached to a man, […] that is one—in-herself," a result of combining Latin words from man (vir) and woman (gyne) relating 'virgin' to androgyny, or the word to purity as in 'virgin metals'. Lorde would state in an interview that she associates the title as not being representative of sexual purity, but to things that are essential and untainted.
The physical vinyl edition of the album features an image of Lorde's bare crotch through transparent pants photographed by Talia Chetrit. Alex Greenberger of "ARTnews" wrote that the image "speaks to "Virgin" broader concerns with how much one is meant to reveal of their inner self, specifically when it comes to gender," adding that it also "points up a contradiction: though Lorde has left little of her torso to the imagination, we still can’t see aspects of her gender identity." The vinyl edition of the album was sold with a parental advisory warning for adult imagery.
Promotion.
On 24 April 2025, Lorde released "What Was That", her first original single release as a solo artist in nearly four years. The song acted as the lead single from her then-unannounced fourth album. An accompanying music video was filmed in New York City, and included footage of a surprise performance at Washington Square Park earlier that week. The Washington Square Park event attracted media attention after it was initially shut down by the NYPD due to overcrowding and a lack of permits required for hosting a public concert in New York City. She announced the 11-track album on 30 April and revealed further information through her social media, detailing the release and contributors.
Lorde announced the album's track listing on 28 May. The following day, "Man of the Year" was released as the album's second single, alongside an accompanying music video. On 18 June, Lorde posted a video captioned ""Virgin" in ten days another song in a few." The following day, the album's third single, "Hammer", was announced. On 22 June, five days before the album's release, Lorde debuted the album for fans in the Brooklyn bar Baby's All Right in an event live-streamed on TikTok. The album's marketing style has been likened to guerrilla marketing strategies, consisting of frequent pop-up events in unconventional venues in various cities, including Auckland, Sydney, London, and New York City.
Lorde performed the album in full on its release day in an unannounced performance at Glastonbury Festival 2025.
Shortly after release, fans reported that the 'clear CD' physical edition, which featured a fully transparent disc, did not work in some systems, including car stereos, and older players.
Tour.
On 8 May 2025, Lorde announced the Ultrasound World Tour in support of "Virgin". The tour will begin on 17 September 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Critical reception.
 The review aggregator site AnyDecentMusic? compiled 17 reviews and gave the album an average of 7.6 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.
Olivia Horn of "Pitchfork" wrote that while the album is "rooted somewhat in [Lorde's] past, it's a gritty, tender, and often transcendent ode to freedom and transformation", adding that "the whole thing is pregnant with possibility, blissfully abstract, ripe for interpretation. It feels like a portal to anywhere you want to go." Maya Georgi of "Rolling Stone" wrote that Lorde "redefines who she wants to be on her most introspective record yet", adding that she "isn't trying to capture something from the past, but instead leans into the chaos of reinvention." Jem Aswad of "Variety" praised the "electronics-dominated" production, which "matches the lyrics perfectly, rising and receding with the emotions, pulling back or piling on for impact." "The Guardian" Alexis Petridis wrote that "the sound of "Virgin" is noticeably unsettled and rough", and added that Lorde's songwriting remains as "skilful and incisive" as it was on "Pure Heroine" (2013). "The Skinny" Rhys Morgan praised Lorde's songwriting and wrote: "While it may not break entirely new ground, this album's embrace of mordant textures and restrained warmth ... cements it as consistently compelling and quietly brilliant." 
In a mixed review, Paolo Ragusa of "Consequence" wrote that "the challenge of "Virgin", especially given its brevity, is that it fails to leave a strong impression" because "even with Lorde's vocal conviction, the melodies often lack stickiness and tend to meander." "NME" Alex Rigotti thought that "sonically, Lorde takes some big swings without losing sight of who she is" on the album, although "there are moments where the production feels slightly misjudged." "The Arts Desk" James Mellen wrote: "Highlights are in the more and up-tempo tracks, but aside from 'What Was That' nothing reaches real-deal classic pop single territory. "Virgin" is a solid effort, but mainly it's all mellow and no drama."
Personnel.
Credits adapted from Apple Music.