REVIEW: Lorde: Live at Gas South Arena - Duluth
- Olivia Smith
- Nov 10
- 4 min read
The electropop mastermind bares it all at the Ultrasound World Tour
Lorde is no stranger to reinventing herself. Aotearoa’s art pop phenom released her debut album Pure Heroine at a ripe 16 years old and practically became an overnight sensation. Though her days as a teen idol are behind her, her latest project Virgin and the accompanying Ultrasound World Tour proved that Lorde remains a master of the music game.
On the heels of her 29th birthday, the start of the tour’s UK/EU leg, and Virgin’s noticeable absence from this year’s Grammy nominations, we’re revisiting Lorde’s recent stop in Duluth and her effervescent legacy.
Last month, thousands of fans made the pilgrimage to Gas South Arena to witness Lorde’s Ultrasound World Tour. Put simply, the show was electric—the kind of concert that doesn’t just reach your eyes and ears but also courses through your veins.
After stellar opening sets by The Empress Of and Japanese House, the show launched with the buzz of Virgin’s opening track, “Hammer.” The new album is many things, but it’s primarily an exploration of gender—femininity, masculinity, androgyny, and everything in between (re: “Hammer’s” headline-making cry of “Some days I’m a woman / Some days I’m a man”).
The set continued with the Grammy-winning 2010s anthem (and arguably Lorde’s biggest hit) “Royals.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard a crowd as loud as this one—not necessarily in terms of decibels, but rather the total percentage of the room singing along. From this moment on, the audience was under her spell.
The concert, which may be better described as performance art, was pure magic. Each track was marked by a new immersive gimmick, such as a camera tucked into an industrial fan during “Buzzcut Season” or a ring of lights and a pixelated onscreen avatar during “Shapeshifter.” Chances are, clips from “Supercut” have already graced your feed, featuring Lorde jogging on a treadmill as the song progresses. These unique visual cues will forever be associated with their respective tracks, floating behind my eyelids whenever I relisten.
Virgin represents a sonic return to Lorde’s “anti-pop” sound. After the beachy dreamscapes of 2021’s Solar Power, Lorde shared that she feels most at home in the electronic world. Solar Power made two small cameos on the setlist, with “Oceanic Feeling” and “Big Star” serving as mellow palate cleansers between more upbeat tracks. Virgin’s vulnerability is perhaps what sets it apart from Lorde’s previous work. She’s always worn her heart on her sleeve, but the songs here take this expression to a new level. Rather than a sonic stripdown like Solar Power, Lorde presents a deeper lyrical nakedness. “I just had to let myself be myself,” she announced to the crowd, “lay it all bare and trust that you would know what to do with it.”
Lorde demonstrates this philosophy literally. In contrast to the oft-vibrant stage presence of her fellow pop girlies, she begins the show in a t-shirt and jeans, a getup in which she “never felt rawer or closer to the magic.” A third of the way into the set (during the intimate “Current Affairs,” no less), her pants slip off to reveal maroon boxer briefs. The costume changes continue with a camera focused on her exposed navel during “GRWM” and the symbolic duct tape top during “Man of the Year.” It is crucial to note that this bareness is never from a place of objectification or degradation, but freedom and wholeness.
In addition to the entirety of Virgin, hits from Pure Heroine and Melodrama got fans on their feet. “Green Light” and “Team” were notable favorites—the kind of songs that are impossible not to sing and dance to. Much to the audience’s chagrin, Lorde sprinkled in “No Better,” a sultry deep cut about “being too f—king hot.” It’s no secret that music has the power to bring people together, but the sense of camaraderie in the air was palpable.
Lorde likened the feeling of post-pandemic isolation to being “little islands really far away from each other.” The Ultrasound World Tour served as reminder of the eternal beauty of live music. Whether it’s cheering for an opalescent reusable water bottle (Lorde’s social media profile picture and unofficial mascot) or dancing with your seat neighbor during “A World Alone,” the show was a celebration of connection through a shared love of art. “I find it to be increasingly rare in our world that we have something deeply in common with this many people,” the singer noted. “We have enough in common that we will stand next to these complete strangers and cry, sweat, and let it all hang out.”
Thus, it only makes sense that the set closed with “Ribs.” The track has become a Gen Z anthem for friendship and nostalgia. The song echoes a universal truth every human has experienced: It feels so scary getting old. Through this final number, Lorde reminded her audience to embrace the fleeting nature of this life and savor every minute.
Unbeknownst to most casual listeners, Lorde keeps up with fans through email. When the occasional love letter/diary entry/scrapbook page stumbles into my inbox, it feels like a treasured message from a dear friend. In the note announcing the tour, Lorde made a brave, but confident, statement: “I think that Ultrasound could be our masterpiece.”
After witnessing the spectacle for myself, I think she might just be right.
Lorde's new album Virgin is out now via Republic Records
Article by Olivia Smith. Please credit @art.seen.atl if reposting on social media.
