It started with a message: “Meet me in the park.” Ambiguous, a bit cheeky, and certainly the only five words Lorde needs to say to draw a crowd of hundreds to Washington Square Park on an unassuming Tuesday evening.
With talks of a new album and single “What Was That” set to release soon (a snippet on Lorde’s TikTok was shot at the park), it didn’t take long for fans to flock to the NYU student-favorite spot for an alleged 7 p.m. happening. Teens ran from classes to congregate around the entrance arches, some climbing onto trees, lampposts, and each other. Onlookers in neighboring high-rises peered over the glass. Lucy Dacus was there. All perplexed, all there for Lorde.
As the sun began to set, it seemed like the 28-year-old musician would not be making an appearance; just before 8 p.m., she confirmed via Instagram Stories that the NYPD had shut down the event. A mix of disappointment and outright confusion lingered amongst the crowd, many unsure of whether to stick around for the sake of it, especially after a particularly brutal New York winter, or just as an excuse to catch up with old friends over the songs that so perfectly captured the listlessness of growing up. Eventually, one brave park-goer brought out a speaker to play cult faves, from “Supercut” and “Ribs,” to Charli xcx’s “Girl, so confusing featuring lorde.”
What was supposed to be an appearance of the Pure Heroine musician turned into an enormous, impromptu dance party, a sort of celebration of the music that meant — and means — the world to us. Attendees began pouring out of the park and into a march along fourth street and sixth avenue, everyone following everyone else following the speaker still emanating from a distance. High schoolers danced hand-in-hand screaming “you’re the only friend I need” like a north star, and old friends reminisced on their long-forgotten teenage angst. For any observer and attendee, Lorde felt fully present.
And then the inevitable happened: there she was. After the congregation dispersed, to the surprise of many, the artist did end up making an appearance at Washington Square Park just before 10 p.m., to debut her new song and dance along in typical Lorde fashion. See the thrill, the chaos, and the tenderness of the warm, city evening at the park below.
