Shady Things Everyone Ignores About Lorde
Lorde — aka Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor — is one of the most eclectic and fun musicians in the game. From the "Tennis Court" singer's mesmerizing live performances to her funky style, this girl is in it to win it. But beneath this Grammy-winner's cool-girl persona, there are more than a few shady stories and sketchy rumors.
Although Lorde seems skilled in the art of subtle digs, her questionable antics throughout the years haven't slipped past our radar. Let's not forget the time she sparked dating rumors with Bleachers singer Jack Antonoff, the ex-boyfriend of her former bestie, Girls stars Lena Dunham. While some might argue that the media blew things out of proportion, it's worth asking why Lorde was seemingly cozying up to Antonoff in the first place. Hmm. Then there are those not-so-nice comments she made about a certain singer in an interview with June 2017. Considering Lorde was supposed to be friends with this famous gal, it's understandable that her remarks incited backlash. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's all of the shady things everyone ignores about Lorde.
What about girl code?
Lena Dunham and Lorde became fast friends after they were introduced to each other by mutual pal, songstress Taylor Swift. Dunham and Lorde opened up about their close bond and the power of female friendship in an interview Dunham conducted for Dazed. When Dunham brought up the fact that Swift basically made it her "job" to bring the ladies together, Lorde replied: "I mean, she definitely brought me into this amazing world of supportive female friendship."
But did Lorde demonstrate her supportive side when she started hanging out with Dunham's ex post-breakup? Shortly after Dunham and musician Jack Antonoff split in January 2018, Lorde was spotted spending time with him in New Zealand. Okay, a person shouldn't have to pick sides in a breakup, yet fans couldn't help but cringe at photos of Lorde cozying up to Antonoff. "Dammmmmnnn poor Lena, her naivety got the best of her," one fan tweeted. "If all of this is true Lorde is an a**hole friend and Jack is a total pos f**kboi."
While a good chunk of the criticism was directed towards Antonoff (some fans think he cheated), we have to wonder if Lorde got off easy. There's something to be said for girl code, after all. Arguably the worst part of this controversy was Lorde's seemingly casual response to the drama. When asked about the dating rumors, she responded on Instagram Live (via Us Weekly): "I love him. He's awesome, but we're not dating!" Hmm.
An 'awful' falling-out
It's safe to say Lena Dunham was pretty upset when she saw the seemingly suspicious photos of her friend and her ex circulating online. In fact, Dunham confirmed her frustrations in a November 2018 interview with The Cut, admitting that the situation was "awful." It's unclear if these women have even spoken since. When asked about the status of her friendship with Lorde, Dunham said, "I don't think anything happened between them. I can never know someone else's life," she said. "I have never spoken to Ella [Lorde] about it. We haven't talked since Jack [Antonoff] and I broke up. It was awful, and I couldn't do anything about it except trust that what he was saying to me was true."
Dunham has mended fences with Antonoff, making it clear in the two are "Best friends 4ever." No such proclamations have been issued about Lorde. We can't help but wonder what really happened there, but this gal pal weather report looks overcast.
She likened this friendship to a disease
Lorde caught a lot of heat from fans after she made a questionable comment about her friendship with superstar Taylor Swift. Although Lorde was supposedly a treasured member of Swift's famous squad, that sentiment was put into question when the "Green Light" singer compared her friend to a sickness. Ouch! "It's like having a friend with very specific allergies. There are certain places you can't go together. Certain things you can't do," Lorde told The Guardian in June 2017. "There are these different sets of considerations within the friendship. It's like having a friend with an autoimmune disease."
Of course, it's possible Lorde didn't intend to be malicious, but even if she was being facetious, a whole lot of folks didn't take kindly to the comparison — including those who suffer from autoimmune diseases. "I have lupus. So really, just really?" one person tweeted. "Good @lorde! What was she thinking?" a pun-loving critic wrote.
Lorde did take the time to apologize for the gaffe. "...i f—ed up & that was really insensitive," she wrote in a since-deleted tweet (via Extra). "I'm sorry."
Fawning over her pal's enemy
Even if you're not a pop culture junkie, you've likely heard at least a little something about Taylor Swift and Kanye West's infamous and long-running feud, so it's a bit confusing that Lorde seemingly forgot about the beef when she hung out with West in Paris, France. The March 2015 meet-up sparked rumors about a potential collaboration, though at the time of this writing, no music has materialized. Lorde did, however, cover two of West's songs at a March 2018 concert in Chicago — a move that got Swift's fans talking on Twitter. Some irritated Swifties shared pointed memes and GIFs to express their annoyance about the situation, while others chose to call out Lorde directly.
To be fair, however, Lorde has been open about her love for West for years. She referred to him as her "idol" in 2014, and remixed her song "Yellow Flicker Beat."
Is she playing dumb or just bad at the internet?
Some fans might remember when Lorde took a self-deprecating shot at people who vacation in luxurious locales. "When you scroll through your feed and all the pretty famous boys and girls are on yachts or in saint barth's and you're at home where it's raining and you've never even been on a holiday to another country before," she wrote in a since-deleted January 2016 Instagram post (via E! News). "Never been to a tropical island let alone saint barth's and actually you aren't even sure if you're spelling saint barth's right." (She wasn't.) Once again, the jury is out on whether Lorde was just trying to make or joke or if she was dishing out some subtle shade.
Some online sleuths wondered if her jab was directed at model Kendall Jenner and singer Harry Styles. That suspicion was warranted considering Jenner and Styles were photographed yachting together just days before Lorde shared her take. "MY GOD did Lorde just @ Harry and Kendall?" one follower tweeted at the time. The rampant speculation actually prompted Lorde to clarify her remarks by editing her original Instagram post (via Billboard): "Lol no 'shade' folks if i were on an island or in even nearish proximity to a yacht you would be hearing all the f**k about it just making fun of my own lameness."
Hmm. Was this a bad case of damage control or is this particular controversy truly a misunderstanding? Regardless, Lorde definitely has a knack for stirring the pot...
She called rap 'irrelevant'
A particularly cringeworthy Lorde moment occurred during a May 2013 chat with Interview Magazine. In that piece, she discussed the inspiration behind her music. "Around the middle of last year I started listening to a lot of rap, like Nicki Minaj and Drake, as well as pop singers like Lana Del Rey," she said. "They all sing about such opulence, stuff that just didn't relate to me — or anyone that I knew. I began thinking, 'How are we listening to this? It's completely irrelevant.'" Say what, now? Did Lorde actually call these famous musicians' music irrelevant?
Many fans weren't impressed with this take, to put it mildly. "Lorde thinks rap music is 'completely irrelevant' bc they rap about $$, girls, drinking... have you ever listened to underground rap?" one critic tweeted. Lorde's perspective generated plenty of headlines, including this one from Complex, which declared that the singer had dissed her fellow entertainers. Yet again, Lorde backtracked or clarified –depending on your point of view. "Nice try @ComplexMag, but I have nothing but love and admiration for both Nicki and Drake (have said this x1000)," she responded (via E! News). "Just because their songs aren't my reality (being 17 and from Auckland) doesn't mean I don't admire their musicianship and careers!"
Another day, another foot in mouth comment from Lorde.
Jealous much?
Jealousy is never a good look, which is why some fans were upset with Lorde's seemingly envious reaction to Pink's 2017 Grammys performance. The drama went down after Lorde was caught on camera reportedly "showing literally zero enthusiasm" while Pink did her thing — an alleged offense made worse by what looked like half-hearted clapping (actually, more like quarter-hearted clapping). Interesting.
Although it's totally possible Lorde was tired at the time (award shows can be long, you guys), others suspected jealousy was to blame. "You rocked at the grammy's. Lorde was just jealous as she can't sing like you can. I wouldn't worry about her reaction," one fan tweeted to Pink. "@lorde What's up with the sh**ty face after @pinks performance? Jealous much??" another theorized. Who knows, maybe Lorde's reaction was due to some pre-Grammys drama. The singer was supposedly frustrated that she wasn't asked to perform solo that year, reported Variety. C'est la vie.
Her tone-deaf Whitney Houston reference
Lorde learned the hard way that you should always think before you speak. Although this might seem obvious to many celebs, this pop star clearly missed this memo when, in April 2018, she inadvertently (we hope) made reference to Whitney Houston's accidental drowning in a bathtub in 2012. "And iiii will always love you," Lorde captioned a since-deleted Instagram snap of an empty bathtub — a supposed nod to Houston's infamous recording of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You."
The response to the post was largely negative, with many calling out Lorde for her insensitivity. "This is disgusting idk how people find it funny. Whitney was a legend," one horrified follower tweeted. "She was amazing. she was a queen. she was a strong black woman. I like Lorde but this is truly disgusting."
Lorde later blamed poor judgment for the controversy, writing on Instagram Stories (via Entertainment Weekly): "Extremely extremely poorly chosen quote," she said. "I'm so sorry for offending anyone — I hadn't even put this together, I was just excited to take a bath. I'm an idiot. Love Whitney forever and ever. Sorry again." Perhaps it's time for the young star to start leaning on some public-relations pros before she dishes online.
Is she really a feminist?
Lorde has never been shy about her feminism, telling 60 Minutes Australia in June 2017 that the movement is about "trying to fight for better conditions and better treatment of all women, whether that be trans women, or women of color, or...women in professions that don't get a lot of respect." Considering she's all about female empowerment, it's kind of bizarre that she seemingly questioned fellow pop star Selena Gomez's commitment to the cause. At the center of Lorde's jab? Gomez's hit single, "Come & Get It." "I'm a feminist and the theme of her song is, 'When you're ready, come and get it from me,'" she quipped (via E! News). "I'm sick of women being portrayed this way."
Shortly after Lorde's comment made the rounds, fans took to social media to put her on blast. "Lorde calling Selena's music anti-feminist is anti-feminist in itself," one follower tweeted. "Feminism is supporting other women & sexuality." Another added: "For a feminist, she sure loves putting females down."
As for Gomez? She took the comment in stride."I appreciate everybody's opinion, especially because I've covered [Lorde's] music lots of times. But I think at the same time, that feminism and that specific thing is very sensitive," she said (via E! News). "Because in my opinion it's not feminism if you're tearing down another artist ... She's got so much talent, she's gonna take over; she gets it, so I don't take it to heart."