The Ultrasound World Tour, headlined by Australian Singer-Songwriter Lorde, officially kicked off its long, 53 city run in celebration of nostalgic past anthems and experimental new hits. Opening on September 17 in Austin, TX, Lorde attained talented openers including Blood Orange, The Japanese House, and Nilüfer Yanya. The tour spans various parts of Europe, ending in Stockholm, SE on December 12. It blends nostalgic sentiment—through famous hits like “Ribs” and “Royals,” which resonate with fans supporting the artist since she began her career in 2012—with newer fan favorites, including hit songs like “What Was That” and “Man of the Year,” which made part of her latest hit album, Virgin, released in June 2025.
Lorde’s resurgence to the stage was highly anticipated, as she appeared on stage last in 2022 when she celebrated her release of Solar Power, a 2021 indie-folk record. The release of Solar Power challenged Lorde’s fame; many fans were upset about her genre pivot, as her first albums, Pure Heroine and Melodrama, were mainly synth-pop productions. During this criticized era, a video of Lorde performing her song “Writer in the Dark” resurfaced, and the internet began a hate campaign against Lorde. The clip showed Lorde shushing the crowd, as it was tradition for this song to be performed a capella. This further enforced the critique towards the singer, and many fans began to lose respect for her.
Lorde’s relevancy changed when British hyper-pop star, Charli xcx, teased a song collaboration with Lorde on her deluxe version of her hit album Brat. The song “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde” dominated the internet, with various trends expanding its popularity. Charlie xcx invited Lorde to perform their song together at Coachella, an event which thrusted Lorde into the public eye again.
Lorde, with her fame transformed, began teasing her own unreleased music. A TikTok, posted in April by Lorde teased a clip of her then unreleased song “What Was That,” which garnered 37.2 million views. Fans became ecstatic, as the clip sounded similar to her old synth-pop genre, and knew an album was on the way. The singles “What Was That”, “Man of the Year”—which became inspiration for trends on TikTok—and “Hammer” increased anticipation for the release of the full album.
With the release of Virgin and The Ultrasound World Tour now underway, Lorde has firmly reestablished herself as one of pop’s most dynamic performers, balancing nostalgia with a bold new sound.