Lorde’s journey: How New Zealand songstress grew from ‘Royals’ to icon

New Zealand songster Lorde rose to global fame at just 16 with her breakout hit Royals, earning praise from the biggest names in music.

Now at 28, the indie-pop icon has revealed her raw fourth album, Virgin, and is set to perform at the Zénith in Paris on November 10.

In 2013, her globally loved single topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won her two Grammys. That track became Lorde’s identity and made her the new face of the alt-pop world.

Lorde’s debut album Pure Heroine positioned her as a teenage prodigy, but she had more to explore. In 2017, she released Melodrama, which became a critically acclaimed masterpiece and earned her an Album of the Year Grammy nomination.

After taking a four-year break, the New Zealand star returned in 2021 with Solar Power, featuring a mellow, sun-soaked, hippie vibe.

Now in 2025, Lorde is officially positioned as an alt-pop pioneer and a cult favourite for Gen Z.

Lorde’s Real Name

Lorde’s birth name is Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, and when she started performing in her teens, she adopted the name Lorde before the release of her debut album.

What does the name ‘Lorde’ mean?

Lorde chose her stage name from an early fascination with aristocracy and grandeur. In interviews, she explained that the word ‘Lord’ evoked the timelessness and authority she hoped to embody in her music.

“It was that nobility, aristocracy obsession that I had. I hit upon ‘Lord’ and loved the way it sounded, and then I was like, it would be quite cool to add an ‘E’ to feminise it,” the singer told 60 Minutes Australia in 2017.

RELATED: Lorde says femininity is about ‘being a man’