My path to Lorde wasn’t exactly conventional.
I missed the “Pure Heroine” Tumblr wave entirely. While people were posting thirst traps to “Royals” in 2013, I was 9 and probably listening to “The Fox.” You know, the song that goes, “What does the fox say?”
Back then, Lorde was nothing more than background noise in my mom’s car.
My real introduction came years later with “Solar Power.” Ironic, since it’s the album that many longtime fans didn’t like. The album was too quiet, too serious and too different from the Lorde they were used to. But I liked it.
After that, I moved backward through her discography, starting with”Melodrama” and then “Pure Heroine.” Not on purpose, it just happened that way.
By the time I was fully caught up, the “Solar Power” tour was over. So when she announced the “Ultrasound” tour, I knew I had to go.
My sister drove in from New York to come with me. She’s been a fan since high school. Even our dad had some form of connection to Lorde. He’s a fan of Bruce Springsteen, who once covered “Royals” at a concert in New Zealand, where Lorde is from. So in a weird way, I guess we can thank “The Boss” for our tickets.
The show was at TD Garden in Boston on Sept. 26. I went with my sister, her boyfriend and my best friend.
The veteran fans stood out immediately with duct-taped wrapped tightly around shirts and bare chests, cropped microbangs, faded sneakers and thrifted handbags. It was a very specific kind of crowd — definitely eclectic.
When the lights dropped after the openers’ — Blood Orange and The Japanese House — performances, the energy in the room shifted drastically. The rumble of “Hammer” filled the venue, and then the woman of the hour stepped out, wearing ripped mid-wash jeans slouched over visible Calvin Klein boxers and a navy cropped tee, with her hair loose in her face.
She grabbed the mic and said, “Boston, welcome to ‘Ultrasound.’ You look fucking incredible.”
The stage set up was minimal: an open stage with a few interpretive dancers, a giant speaker and strobe lights. With so little to look at but her, every movement felt amplified in the best way.
The visuals throughout the concert were minimal but intentional, keeping the main focus on her. Most of the concert was Lorde having fun and jumping around. The energy was infectious — so much so that my feet were sore for a solid three days after.
During “Buzzcut Season,” her hair blew around as a camera projected her image on the big screen. The visuals weren’t anything too deep, just cool and dreamlike.
Her performance of “Supercut,” on the other hand, was something else entirely. She ran on a treadmill while singing, which at first seemed random, but actually made perfect sense for the meaning of the song. We see her running in place, trying, but not getting anywhere. It was clever, emotional and genuinely one of the most memorable moments of the night — not to mention an impressive physical feat.
I was a little bummed she only performed two songs from “Solar Power,” but in hindsight, it worked in the context of the concert as a whole.
For “Big Star” and “Oceanic Feeling,” she sat cross-legged on stage with a tiny DJ board and laptop. The lights dimmed, phone flashlights turned on and the pace slowed.
For a few minutes, TD Garden felt a little smaller. The songs didn’t necessarily sound better live, but the moment felt more personal than the rest of the concert.
Lorde didn’t talk much between songs, which I appreciated. When she did, it was brief — no drawn-out speeches or forced “this city is special” moments. At one point, she said, “When you start doing this as a teenager, you don’t realize the support you have behind you,” then moved right into the next song.
The show kept its rhythm and focused on the music. As someone who likes to be home and in bed by 10:30 p.m., I respect that.
The biggest surprise of the night for me was “GRWM.” I’ve never been a huge fan of the song. It felt flat on the album and was the only song I consistently skipped, but live, it was one of my favorites.
As she sang, a hand-held camera traced her silhouette — not in a sexual way, but in a way that emphasized the vulnerability at the heart of the song. This visual added depth. It was a small, tasteful addition to the performance that complemented the lyricism of the song.
She closed the main set with “David,” then came back for the encore: “Ribs.” The songs built upon each other beautifully.
She put on a glowing vest and walked into the crowd, security guards following her as the main screen flipped between prerecorded footage and her current self in real time, the images syncing with the music.
The pit was chaotic, but she moved through it slowly, almost like she was floating — calm and unbothered. The crowd of people standing by the stage rushed to follow as she made her way across the venue.
By the end of the concert, she was barefoot, sweaty and smiling. Whether those final moments were choreographed or not didn’t really matter. That’s what made the show.
Lorde knew exactly what she wanted this show to be. And she nailed it. I had the absolute time of my life.
I love Lorde.
