Lorde announced on March 18, 2026, that she is now an independent artist after her long-term contract with Universal Music Group concluded at the end of last year. The deal, which began when she was 12 years old, covered her first four albums. She described the move as providing a 'clean slate' while expressing fondness for her former label.
Lorde shared the news in a voice message to fans ahead of her Ultrasound festival shows. She explained that the recording deal she signed with Universal at age 12 ended in December 2025, marking the close of about 17 years with the label. 'I have been in that contract for a very, very long time, in some form of that contract since I was 12 years old, when I signed my first development deal with Universal,' she said. 'I adore them. They’re incredible people and I had an amazing experience with them. But the truth is that a 12 year old girl pre-sold her creative output before she knew what it would be like, and before she knew what she was signing away.' Under the deal, Lorde released Pure Heroine in 2013, Melodrama in 2017, Solar Power in 2021, and Virgin in June 2025, her final album with the label. All four albums charted in the top five on the Billboard 200, with her debut single 'Royals' topping the Hot 100 for nine weeks. Now 29, Lorde has not ruled out signing a new deal in the future, possibly even with Universal. 'When I see an opportunity for a clean slate, I try to take it. And it does feel different... I feel a feeling of openness and possibility and I’m inspired,' she stated. She updated fans on other new beginnings, including studying for her driver's license before turning 30, signing a lease on an office space, learning chess, and reading 'bizarre fucking books.' Her phone background now reads, 'I have no master,' a theme echoed in her Virgin track 'David.' Lorde has upcoming festival appearances at BottleRock Napa Valley, Governor’s Ball, and Lollapalooza 2026 alongside Charli xcx, BLACKPINK’s JENNIE, and others, plus final dates on her Ultrasound World Tour.
