This spring is all about Lorde: Just two weeks after teasing her new single “What Was That” on TikTok, she made headlines last Tuesday by drawing hundreds of fans to Washington Square Park for an impromptu listening session. (Unsurprisingly, the police shut it down—but true fans kept the spirit alive with a heartwarming singalong.)

The chaos got me thinking about Lorde’s perfect timing. Just when I’ve overplayed her latest album or single, she drops something new, never overstaying her welcome.

Every Lorde record is great (fight me!), but her singles have a special way of making me hit replay endlessly. So, here are the Lorde songs that have haunted me since 2013:

1. “Royals,” 2013
If you didn’t spend a winter abroad obsessively learning “Royals” in your hostel room until your neighbor banged on the wall and threatened you in Russian, we can’t be friends. A decade later, this song still slaps—proof of Lorde’s genius.

2. “What Was That,” 2025
Yes, it’s insane to rank a song this high after just four days. But I’ve listened to it roughly 40 times a day since release. Lorde’s chain-belt summer is coming, and I’m ready.

3. “Stoned at the Nail Salon,” 2021
As someone who enjoys being stoned at the nail salon, this song spoke to me instantly. Blasting it during a post-vape manicure three years ago remains a core pop-music memory. Lorde gets it—sometimes you just have to make your own fun.

4. “Solar Power,” 2021
I was a hater at first—the beachy vibe confused me, and I didn’t think it matched Melodrama. But after a few hundred listens, I surrendered. Now, nothing beats riding the bus in a cute outfit with this song playing.

5. “Green Light,” 2017
Just seeing the title makes me scream, “I’M WAITING FOR IT! THAT GREEN LIGHT! I WANT IT!” And thanks to Lorde, I’ll never apply mascara in an Uber without thinking of her.

6. “Tennis Court,” 2013
Rewatching the video in 2025 is nostalgic (that braid crown we all wore, looking like discount Swiss milkmaids). But back then, I couldn’t stop singing “Let’s go down to the tennis court”—despite never having played tennis. How do you get the ball over the net?

7. “Mood Ring,” 2021
Is it my favorite Lorde single? No. But it’s an undeniable earworm and a low-key bop. Sometimes that’s enough.