Speculation about a "new era" has been ongoing since 2023, when Lorde used social media to hint at new music through an ambiguous Instagram post. In February 2023, she wiped her Instagram clean before posting a nighttime swimming photo captioned, "No, this is not the start of anything out there, just want u to know there's a light inside of me."
Last summer, Lorde performed two new songs, 'Silver Moon' and 'Invisible Ink,' at the Boardmasters Festival. Regarding these tracks, she clarified, "Hahaha, I'm serious literally just decided to set these free from my laptop … but they're not bad, eh … beautiful and fun for fests I thought."
Known for her meticulous creative process, Lorde has said of her fourth album, "It has taken me quite a while [to start working on it]. I mean, I do just take a long time… I do a lot of research, I write a lot down." She added, "I don't want to wait, you know, so take from that what you will."
In a newsletter, Lorde shared personal insights, writing, "I'm living with heartbreak again. It's different but the same. I ache all the time. I forget why and then remember. I'm not trying to hide from the pain, I understand now that pain isn't something to hide from, that there's actually great beauty in moving with it."
Reflecting on '
Solar Power', Lorde stated, "Obviously, some people liked it, some people didn't like it. I think the third album is like always a real… you do sort of cross over in a way, you know, you're not new anymore, and also you want maybe different things. I had real things I wanted that I just had to do with that album, and I feel more clear and calm for having done that."
Lorde has been working on her fourth album in New York, with speculation about potential collaborators including Blood Orange's Dev Hynes, producer Jim-E Stack, and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff.
