Lorde doesn’t hold back in her upcoming album Virgin, set for release July 27. “I’m an intense bitch,” she declares in her Rolling Stone May 2025 cover story, setting the tone for what may be her most revealing work yet. The New Zealand artist gave writer Brittany Spanos and photographer Theo Wenner full access to her New York apartment, where she detailed the album’s creation amid personal upheavals and creative rebirth.
The album’s early singles, such as “What Was That,” “Man of the Year,” and “Hammer,” signal a return to the sharp alt-pop sensibilities of Pure Heroine and Melodrama, but with a rawer edge. Lorde describes leaning into physicality this time, both lyrically and thematically. “I’m coming more into my body, I came into an understanding of the grotesque nature of it and the glory and all these things,” she explains. The lyrics push boundaries, with lines like “You tasted my underwear” deliberately courting discomfort. “I’ve never heard that in a song,” she says. “It felt like the right way to tell this whole chapter.”
Virgin also marks a period of personal exploration for Lorde, particularly regarding gender identity. She recounts discussing men’s jeans with producer Jim-E Stack as one example of her “gender broadening” during the album’s creation. The title itself reflects her journey off birth control for the first time since age 15, framing virginity as a metaphor for self-discovery rather than physical experience. “There’s going to be a lot of people who don’t think I’m a good girl anymore,” she says. “For some people, I will have arrived. I’ll be where they always hoped I’d be.”
Behind the scenes, Stack’s production proves crucial. Known for work with Haim and Bon Iver, his percussive style brings a distinct texture to Virgin. “I had always seen her as an outlier pop star,” Stack says of their collaboration. “She had the success but didn’t play the game.” Their creative partnership flourished through shared musical touchstones, including an early love for Drake that broke the ice.
Even Lorde’s daily rituals played a role. Her now viral iridescent Snow Peak water bottle — a constant companion during recording — became an unofficial mascot for the album’s promotional cycle. More than a simple metaphor for hydration, the “chalice” was a symbol for refreshment she found in this creative phase. With Virgin, Lorde dismantles expectations. The album embraces messiness, both sonically and thematically, rejecting polished pop narratives for something more visceral.
As Friday’s release approaches, one thing is clear: Lorde is speaking in a new creative language.
