Lorde Brings Unflinching Honesty to Her Stage, Leaving Audiences Breathless.
The 21-year-old New Zealand native is known for her unapologetic lyrics on girlhood struggles, but her latest tour, Ultrasound, takes it to a whole new level. With its visceral energy and euphoric abandon, the show is a masterclass in harnessing the power of music to convey vulnerability and intimacy.
The performance begins with Lorde performing Hammer, her bare feet tapping out the beat on stage as she surveys the crowd from beneath baggy jeans that hang precariously from her hips. The show is a dynamic, downtown New York theatre experience, replete with subtle nods to Talking Heads' iconic Stop Making Sense, as each song brings a new prop and body language to the table.
As the set progresses, Lorde's use of visual effects becomes more pronounced, with cameras zooming in on analogue synths tangled in patch cables during Broken Glass, and screens flickering behind her like an 8-bit Windows screensaver. Her voice is transformed into a vocoder during Clearblue, as she belts out lyrics that are both deeply personal and universally relatable.
One of the most striking aspects of the show is its emphasis on the body. Dancers hold handheld cameras to film Lorde's midriff, capturing her sweat-drenched skin under the stage lights. The lens twists and turns, holding her curves in a small reclamation of self – it's a powerful statement about female empowerment and the importance of owning one's own identity.
Throughout the performance, Lorde seems utterly at home, strutting across tabletops and paces on a treadmill during Supercut, her voice cracking with emotion. She connects with the audience on a deep level, confessing to "starstruck" feelings in Manchester and holding onto an audience member as she sings David.
The show's climax comes when Lorde performs Intimately, a song that captures the fragility of human connection and the bittersweet ache of nostalgia. The digital feed glitches between her soft face and a pre-recorded image, creating a sense of disorientation that perfectly reflects the uncertainty of life itself.
Ultimately, Lorde's Ultrasound tour is a triumph – a show that harnesses its energy to convey vulnerability, intimacy, and a deep understanding of what it means to be human. It's a testament to her skill as a performer and songwriter, and a reminder that music has the power to both heal and hurt in equal measure.
The 21-year-old New Zealand native is known for her unapologetic lyrics on girlhood struggles, but her latest tour, Ultrasound, takes it to a whole new level. With its visceral energy and euphoric abandon, the show is a masterclass in harnessing the power of music to convey vulnerability and intimacy.
The performance begins with Lorde performing Hammer, her bare feet tapping out the beat on stage as she surveys the crowd from beneath baggy jeans that hang precariously from her hips. The show is a dynamic, downtown New York theatre experience, replete with subtle nods to Talking Heads' iconic Stop Making Sense, as each song brings a new prop and body language to the table.
As the set progresses, Lorde's use of visual effects becomes more pronounced, with cameras zooming in on analogue synths tangled in patch cables during Broken Glass, and screens flickering behind her like an 8-bit Windows screensaver. Her voice is transformed into a vocoder during Clearblue, as she belts out lyrics that are both deeply personal and universally relatable.
One of the most striking aspects of the show is its emphasis on the body. Dancers hold handheld cameras to film Lorde's midriff, capturing her sweat-drenched skin under the stage lights. The lens twists and turns, holding her curves in a small reclamation of self – it's a powerful statement about female empowerment and the importance of owning one's own identity.
Throughout the performance, Lorde seems utterly at home, strutting across tabletops and paces on a treadmill during Supercut, her voice cracking with emotion. She connects with the audience on a deep level, confessing to "starstruck" feelings in Manchester and holding onto an audience member as she sings David.
The show's climax comes when Lorde performs Intimately, a song that captures the fragility of human connection and the bittersweet ache of nostalgia. The digital feed glitches between her soft face and a pre-recorded image, creating a sense of disorientation that perfectly reflects the uncertainty of life itself.
Ultimately, Lorde's Ultrasound tour is a triumph – a show that harnesses its energy to convey vulnerability, intimacy, and a deep understanding of what it means to be human. It's a testament to her skill as a performer and songwriter, and a reminder that music has the power to both heal and hurt in equal measure.
Lorde is on another level, man! Her new tour Ultrasound is like a masterclass in being raw and honest on stage - it's like she's speaking directly to your soul. I love how she's not afraid to get emotional and connect with her audience on that deep level. And those visuals? Mind. Blown. 
the fact that she's embracing her own identity & celebrating female empowerment is what makes this tour truly special 
and don't even get me started on the camera crew 
holding up their phones to film lorde mid-performance it was so awkward 
. And the visuals? Mind. Blown. I love how they incorporate these little nods to Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense - it adds this whole new level of depth to the show 
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. And Lorde herself seems so at ease on stage - I love how she connects with the audience on such a deep level, especially during "Intimately" 
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. She's really taking risks with her stage presence, trying out new things like having cameras capture her sweat-drenched skin on stage - it's like she's literally showing off her emotions for the world to see 
. And I love how she connects with her audience, almost like she's sharing secrets with them... it creates this sense of intimacy that's really special.
. By owning her own body and curvy self, she's showing us that we don't have to hide our flaws to be beautiful or loved. It's like, she's taking back control of the narrative and saying 'this is what makes me human'.
. I love how she's not afraid to be vulnerable on stage, it's like she's share-in' this deep part of herself with us. The way she uses visual effects and props is genius too, it adds this whole other level of depth to the performance 
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. Her willingness to bare her soul on stage is both cathartic and intimidating, much like navigating the complexities of adolescence herself 
. I'm fascinated by how she utilizes visuals to enhance the emotional impact of her songs – it's a bold move that pays off in spades 
. What strikes me most is Lorde's capacity for vulnerability; she's not afraid to show her 'ugly' side, which I think resonates deeply with young audiences seeking authenticity 
. I mean, Lorde's just doing what she does best: singing about her angst and expecting everyone to eat it up. Newsflash: not everyone gets emotional from every song she performs. Some of the dancers in the show seem like they're more trying to be interesting than actually adding anything meaningful to the performance 
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