“What Was That”

Reviewed: April 24, 2025

Review: 3.5/5

Genre: Pop

After nearly a four year hiatus, pop star, Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, or more commonly known under the stage name of “Lorde,” returned to music on April 24, 2025, following her 2021 album Solar Power with a new track titled, “What Was That.”

Yeilch-O’Connor has been more than sure to find ways to  embrace her return with “What Was That.” In recent weeks, she has joined fellow pop-star Charli XCX at Coachella to perform their track “Girl so Confusing,” and to tease her comeback, saying that it will be a “Lorde summer.” Yeich-O’Connor has also rejoined social media, spontaneously posting a teaser of the track on a newly started Tik Tok account; via Instagram, she called on her fans to meet her in Washington Square Park to have a full first listen to the track. Even with the New York Police Department  working to shut down the event because Yeilch-O’Connor lacked a permit, she was  still eventually able to connect with fans and share the song prior to its release on streaming platforms. This event can be seen in the music video that came out for “What Was That.”

For her fans, the track is reminiscent of her 2017, Grammy nominated album “Melodrama,” with synth pop beats and Yelich- O’Connor’s poetic and narrative lyricism collaborating to tell the story of an inability to escape the hauntings of a young love; As suggested by the title, Yeich O-Connor is confused by what had happened in the endings of the relationship. But this confusion never detracts from her lyricism, which is the highlight of the track.

Yeilch-O’Connor uses her songwriting to tell a vivid story from her perspective: She wears smoke as a veil, heads into the city where she is lost at sea, recalls memories of indigo hazes in sandstorms, and shares the specific details of conversations with her partner that brings the story to life and causes the listener to empathize with her loss of a seemingly long-term relationship she has had since she was seventeen. 

However, no matter how beautiful her song-writing is in the three and half minute run of the song, in some spots, the track’s production can overtake some of the highlights of the music on first listens; Though somewhat more experimental with sounds in comparison to some of her previous pop-tracks, at points, the production can fade Yeilch- O’Connor’s unique voice and emphasis in her singing; the further into the track you go, the more busy it can sound with overwhelming synth sounds that at points-especially after the chorus- can blur the potential of the song on initial listens and have the listener asking “what was that?”

In previous works, specifically Melodrama, there is more success in finding a balance between her lyricism and pop production. Of course, in previous works, Yeilch- O’Connor has collaborated with Producer Jack Antonoff, 11 time Grammy winner and 29 time nominee. Antonoff  is best known for his notable production with industry stars such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lana Del Rey. This time, Yeilch- O’Connor opts for Producer Daniel Nigro, who has worked with artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan, and Producer Jim-E Stack who has worked with artists such as Bon Iver and Dominic Fike.

While some of the sounds may not be my personal favorite in comparison to her past works, it is important to note that as seen in her last three albums, it is a very Lorde trait to have distinct sounds for every work. And after more time with the track, the downfalls in the production begin to compliment Yeilch-O’Connor better.

Yet, Yeilch- O’Connor takes what can be seen as cliche and over-told story of being unsettled with the ends of a relationship, and successfully encapsulates an authentic and raw story that combats the cliche and can leave the listener emphasizing with the experience she is telling. Upon the first few listens, this song isn’t what I would consider to be one of her bests. However, it is still an enjoyable and classic Lorde track that begins to fill the years Yelich- O’Connor was absent from the pop scene.

What the rest of this new era will look like is yet to be seen. But as usual, Lorde hints at a promising return that is paired with the momentum she has every time she takes a four year break and returns to music. “ What Was That,” while worthy of a listen, is hopefully only the beginning of fulfilling that promise.