NEWS
Lorde called her friends Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and Gracie Abrams live on the radio – and managed to catch one of them mid-hangover.
While appearing on BBC Radio 1, the singer played a game of ‘Sitting or Standing’, where she had to call friends and guess if they were on their feet or sitting down at the time of answering.
Lorde called up Abrams first, who was confused upon picking up. “I’m standing, should I sit?” Abrams answered in a perplexed tone after Lorde guessed she would be sitting.
Roan was the next to be surprised with a phone call, and Lorde guessed incorrectly again. “I’m so sorry, I’m on Radio 1, I’m doing this horrible show where they make me ask this ridiculous question,” the New Zealand musician said. “Wait, so is this on the radio?” Roan asked.
Last to get phoned was Charli XCX, who responded: “What is happening? I’m lying down.”
Charli XCX then admitted to being hungover, as Lorde laughs along with her: “I’m so hungover. Oh, hi, everyone. I can’t believe I’m on the radio like this.”
Last year, Lorde and Charli XCX squashed their beef and reignited their friendship in the ‘Girl, so confusing’ remix, which came out as part of Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’ remix album. The reworked song first came around when Charli admitted Lorde served as partial inspiration for the original lyrics, saying she was “super jealous” of her song ‘Royals’ and its success.
This jealousy is what inspired the song’s pre-chorus: “People say we’re alike / They say we’ve got the same hair / We talk about making music / But I don’t know if it’s honest”.
A few weeks after the release of ‘Brat’, Charli unveiled a new version of the track, this time featuring Lorde. The track would feature a memorable verse from Lorde, who opened with: “Well, honestly, I was speechless / When I woke up to your voice note / You told me how you’d been feeling / Let’s work it out on the remix”.
Charli then said the remix was actually Lorde’s idea, recalling: “The day before the record came out, I left her a voice note. [Lorde] replied straight away and was like, ‘Oh, my God, I had no idea you felt this way. I’m so sorry.’ And then was like, ‘You know, maybe I should be on a version of the song.’ I didn’t even ask her. She brought it up.
“So much of this rollout was planned, but sometimes it was not,” she concluded. “Lorde’s remix of ‘Girl, so confusing’ is a perfect example. That wasn’t planned. It took three days total.”
In response, Lorde called working with Charli “such a huge honour”, adding: “I love that we truly did work it out on the remix. There’s something very brat about that, something very meta and modern. Only Charli could make that happen.”
Lorde is set to embark on her UK, European and North American ‘Ultrasound’ tour later this year. She recently promised fans that the forthcoming gigs “could be our masterpiece”.
Special guests on the tour will include The Japanese House, Nilüfer Yanya, Chanel Beads, Empress Of and Oklou, as well as Blood Orange – with Devonte Hynes featuring on the album – and co-producer Jim-E Stack. Visit here for North American tickets and more information, and here for any remaining tickets and details for UK and European dates.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
