Lorde has revealed that she has left her longtime record label Universal Music Group.
The 29-year-old New Zealand-born star first signed a development deal with the major label when she was just 12. Her contract expired at the end of last year.
The singer, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor, shared the news with fans via a series of voice messages sent out via WhatsApp.
In one message, she discussed her feelings about being on tour in Paraguay, where she finds herself in the midst of a run of South American festival dates. She is set to perform Wednesday night at the Asunciónico festival in the Paraguayan capital.
In a second message, she reflected on her current state-of-mind and said: “I feel a real hunger for newness, and like a new leaf is turning or a blank slate has been presented. I feel this way because at the end of last year, my deal, my record contract with Universal, came to an end.”
She continued: “I have been in that contract for a very long time, in some form of that contract since I was 12 years old when I signed my first development deal with Universal. I adore them, they’re incredible people and I’ve had an amazing experience with them, but the truth is that a 12 year-old girl pre-signed, pre-sold her creative output before she knew what it would be like, and before she knew what she was signing away.”
Lorde did not rule out re-signing with Universal in the future, saying: “I’m sure I’ll have a deal again, it could well be with Universal, but I knew that I needed to take a second to have nothing being bought or sold that comes from me.
“When I see an opportunity for a clean slate I try to take it, so it does feel different. It sounds like it wouldn’t, but it really does. I feel a feeling of openness and possibility, and I’m inspired and, of course, I’m working and all this stuff. It just feels exciting to have removed the container, or something, for a second.”
She also shared that she’d recently been playing chess with Addison Rae, who is in the country to perform at Asunciónico.
This August, Lorde is set to headline London’s All Points East festival. She will be joined by Mercury Prize nominee PinkPantheress, Swedish star Zara Larsson, U.S. artist Audrey Hobert, and London's own Rose Gray.
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