Singer Lorde surfaces in rare social media sighting years after ‘disappearance’

Reclusive singer Lorde made a rare appearance on social media this week, having barely been seen by fans since completing promotional duties for her last album several years ago.

The New Zealand singer, 24, retreats from the public eye between musical projects, and does not maintain an active public social media presence.

It will be four years in June since the release of her acclaimed sophomore album Melodrama – so fans wondering where the Green Light singer’s gone will at least be pleased to know she looks happy and healthy in her home country.

Lorde – real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor – was photographed by her friend, New Zealand food writer Albert Cho, enjoying martinis at an Auckland restaurant for his birthday.
 

RELATED: Lorde reveals why she disappeared

It’s been three years since Lorde last posted on her own Instagram account. She’s more prolific on her secret Instagram account, “onionringsworldwide,” which she uses to rate onion rings she encounters in her travels.

That account lay dormant for several years when canny fans figured out Lorde was the person behind it – but she fired it back up in December last year and has been happily rating the onion rings of New Zealand ever since:

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by @onionringsworldwide

In a rare print interview granted to friend Cazzie Davis last November, Lorde explained why she had retreated from social media – and in turn, from the public eye.

“Part of what made me peace out on social media, apart from feeling like I was losing my free will, was the massive amounts of stress I was feeling about our planet, about systemic racism, and about police brutality in this country,” she said.

“[It] destroys the part of my brain that can make work … How do you balance needing to have your finger on the pulse while also not going insane?”

After this new surprise cameo on her friend’s Instagram account, Lorde fans soon bombarded Chu with requests to make the singer release some (non-onion-ring-related) content into the world soon.

“TELL HER TO GIVE US NEW MUSIC!” wrote one fan.

“Leak her album,” said one.

“OMG Lorde is back from the sun?” quipped another.

RELATED: Lorde perfectly shuts down demanding fan

Lorde shot to fame as a teenager with the self-penned global smash Royals, a 10-million-selling US number one. Since then, she’s released two albums, picked up two Grammy Awards and toured the world – but has been living a quiet life in New Zealand since finishing the Melodrama world tour in 2018.

She surprised fans with an email newsletter in May last year revealing that she had been working on a new album with collaborator Jack Antonoff: “The work is so f***ing good, my friend. I am truly jazzed for you to hear it.”

No pressure, Lorde, but … we’re waiting!