Pitchforks Reviews Lorde's New Track, What Was That

[RAMROD 107,451]

Lorde, our resident “prettier Jesus,” commands an audience like few of her peers. “Since I was 17, I gave you everything,” she sings on “What Was That”—her first original single in four years—further tussling with the messianic complex of young stardom she so thoroughly lambasted on 2021’s Solar Power. While that album’s aughts-informed folk-pop swerved away from the spotlight, it appears Lorde has since decided to give the people exactly what they want, and what they want, unsurprisingly, is Melodrama part two.

“What Was That” is the sound of a decade passing in the blink of an eye, a first gasp for air after coming up from a dive in the pool. Lorde’s always had a knack for sifting through the fleeting passions of youth, even in their midst, and her writing is as evocative and rich as ever. But with so much of the action necessarily taking place in the past tense—we kissed for hours, I remember saying, I gave you everything—“What Was That” misses out on a sense of revelation, and it’s undercut at every turn by Jim-E Stack and Dan Nigro’s bloodless production. Recall “Green Light”’s galloping pianos, how “Perfect Places” popped like fireworks or maybe gunshots, or the way the razor-edged synths on “Hard Feelings/Loveless” sheared through the mix, instead of limply squeaking by as they do here. Drugs have often been Lorde’s narrative device of choice; “Pure Heroine is alcohol, Melodrama is MDMA, and Solar Power is cannabis,” she told Vogue in 2021. One only wishes “What Was That” did justice to molly-wide pupils or the memory of the “best cigarette of my life.” Then again, the high’s never as good the second time around.

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/lorde-what-was-that/

[whoresup 2,324]

Is this good or shade

[CautiousLurker 18,585]

6 minutes ago, whoresup said:

Is this good or shade

Not shade, more so sadness that her new stuff is not really hitting as much as people expect

[South Blonde 5,907]

They do make a good point here, ngl

Also the irony of having a title like that if the song fails to be successful

[SlowLoris 1,044]

Can I be honest?  I don't like it.  I liked the maturity of solar power.  I felt like it was such an interesting evolution in Lorde's artistry.  With this, it feels like she's kinda caved to the mean stans who were disappointed her last album didn't sound like Melodrama.  

Also I'm sorry, is she STILL singing about that same man ??????????  

Edited 7 hours ago by SlowLoris

[BeFree 112]

I think it sounds pretty interesting on first listen. 

[4th Time Around 4,097]

I already shared my less than positive opinion of the track in another thread. The chorus does not progress into anything interesting/memorable and the lyrics are cringe revisting of old news we have already heard from her 100 times before. I will reserve judgement until I sit down with the full album but this first taste does not leave me very hopeful. 

Edited 7 hours ago by 4th Time Around

[whoresup 2,324]

Yeah the first verse made me think it was going to be great and then the chorus utterly disappointed me. 

I’m no expert on Lorde so my opinion isn’t the most valid but I feel like she hasn’t grown or evolved in her artistry. 

[MayhemMonster 105]

Although Melodrama wasn‘t that of a commercial success like Pure Heroin, she sure as hell served one of the best (concept) albums for decades to come! She herself set the bar so high.

Edited 6 hours ago by MayhemMonster

[MayhemMonster 105]

43 minutes ago, SlowLoris said:

Also I'm sorry, is she STILL singing about that same man ??????????  

Thanks! I feel like I’m missing something. A plot twist or something. Cuz this can‘t be it. 

Also the MV feels like a sarcastic revisit to the Green Light MV. Where she’s also wandering around with her headphones on. MAYBE L4 is a revisit to Melodrama but from her exes perspective.