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Lorde debuted an unreleased track in New York City's Washington Square Park after an earlier gathering was shut down by the NYPD on Tuesday (April 22) evening.
According to RollingStone, the "Ribs" icon texted fans (via Instagram) to meet her in the park at 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the forthcoming release of "What Was That." It didn't take long for a giant crowd to amass and for law enforcement to shut down the impromptu meet-up before Lorde even showed up.
Video footage captured by Variety shows fans booing cops who told them to leave the park. The "Supercut" songstress addressed the situation on social media, writing, "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down. I am truly amazed by how many of you showed up!!! But they’re telling me you gotta disperse … I’m so sorry."
Hours later, Lorde performed "What Was That," standing out as her first new single in four years, as promised. Footage captured by RollingStone shows Lorde dancing on a table surrounded by massive speakers blasting the tune throughout the park.
Fans resounded their support in the comment section, remarking, "Song of the YEAR" and "Lorde Summer ❤️."
The standout teased the track last week, sharing a few bars in her first-ever TikTok, foreshadowing the location of the meet-up without revealing an official release date.
For more, read Lorde Officially Announces Comeback Single 'What Was That'.
Watch the "Royals" artist take over Washington Square Park to debut "What Was That" below!