Photo by Ben Slowey
Lorde
Lorde made her first appearance in Wisconsin since 2018 at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena October 10, filling the stands with thousands of excited fans. Friday’s sold-out concert was part of the Auckland, New Zealand-based pop artist’s Ultrasound World Tour that kicked off in Austin, Texas last month. Opening for Lorde were electronic-experimental-dream pop act Empress Of and indie dream pop artist The Japanese House, each warming up the crowd with buoyantly enchanting sets.
Signed to Universal Music Group when she was just 13, Lorde is one of the modern era’s most unique and inventive pop stars, lauded for her artful approach to sound that is equally comfortable minimalist as it is maximalist, as well as her raw and deeply contemplative songwriting.
With 2013 debut album Pure Heroine, Lorde channeled teenaged angst and her distaste for fame-brained consumer culture by way of dreamy, minimalist electropop, boosted by smash hit single “Royals” as well as irresistibly catchy tunes like “Tennis Court” and “Team.” She teamed up with producer Jack Antonoff for 2017 sophomore album Melodrama, which matured and expanded Lorde’s sound with palpitating synthpop and slower, piano-driven songs, heavily centered around her recent breakup at the time.
Solar Power
Released in 2021, Lorde’s third album Solar Power incorporated elements of psychedelia and folk music, while her latest album Virgin, released in June, finds her returning to her electronic pop roots while exploring personal topics of gender identity, body image and growing up.
Lorde’s concert Friday began with her emerging from out of the stage on a raised platform as she went into the song “Hammer.” Then she performed “Royals” as spotlights from either side flashed over her and as everyone in the crowd echoed every word. By the end of the night, Lorde performed every song off of Virgin as well as a handful from Pure Heroine and Melodrama, plus two from Solar Power.
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Known for not choreographing her dancing for concerts, Lorde instead allows herself to lean authentically into the soul and pulse of her music, blending quirkiness with vulnerability and elation as she jumps around and fist-pumps at the mic. That said, Lorde was in fact accompanied by two backup dancers who doubled as performance artists within the contexts of different songs. Lorde even performed a few songs laying on her backside. Live band members played in pits on either side of the stage and would join her on stage in several instances throughout the night.
Lorde also utilized various props throughout the show; for example, a large fan blew air as she sang into it during “Buzzcut Season.” Another notable moment was during “Supercut” when a treadmill appeared that Lorde would walk onto. For “No Better,” Lorde began by singing in front of a towering mirror before a backup dancer would hold a camera up to her face while pointing the mic at her. She had several wardrobe changes throughout the night, starting with undoing her belt early into her set, then removing her pants entirely to reveal her underwear during the song “Current Affairs.” By her encore, Lorde was sporting a blue hoodie.
Impressive Technology
Impressive technology was utilized for Lorde’s show. Different camera angles darted across the many screens above stage, some being extreme close-ups, while immersive lights and lasers shimmered in many varieties. For the song “Shapeshifter,” a light rig lowered to project an X-ray image of Lorde onto the backdrop—a nod to the Virgin cover art. When she performed “Big Star,” the audience was illuminated by a sea of phone lights, appropriate for the song’s slow tempo and somber tone.
About two thirds into her set, Lorde took a kneel and addressed the thousands of fans in the room, giggling as she expressed her gratitude for all who came out to see her as well as how happy she was to be back in Milwaukee. In spite of how many people were there, it felt like Lorde was speaking to everyone like they were the only one in the room as she commented on how scary the world is right now, assuring that she is scared too while remaining reaffirming and hopeful.
For the final song in her set, Lorde performed Virgin album closer “David” as she walked into the crowd wearing an illuminated suit in one of the most powerfully intimate moments of the night. She then proceeded to the B stage across the room for an encore, saying “I’m going to make you work for it” as the crowd roared with excitement. Lorde then performed “Pure Heroine” favorite “Ribs” to an ecstatic crowd as a lone blue laser shone above her head.
