As anticipation builds for her fourth studio album Virgin, Lorde has dropped one final taste of what’s to come: “Hammer,” an intoxicating track that explores fluid identity, carnal cravings, and the chaos of city life. Released just a week ahead of Virgin’s June 27 debut, “Hammer” offers a genre-blurring opener that feels equal parts euphoric and introspective.

The 28-year-old New Zealand artist describes “Hammer” as “an ode to city life and horniness tbh,” in a tweet that captures the song’s offbeat charm and simmering sensuality.

A Sonic Slow Burn

Co-written with Jim-E Stack, her main collaborator on Virgin and rumored romantic partner, “Hammer” blends hazy synths, stuttering beats, and Lorde’s breathy delivery into something that resists easy categorization. Produced alongside Buddy Ross, a go-to for Frank Ocean and Travis Scott, the track plays with tension: building steadily toward a beat drop that never quite hits, only to pull back into a delicate hush.

The lyrics are bold, vivid, and deeply personal:

“There’s a heat in the pavement, my mercury’s raising. Don’t know if it’s love or if it’s ovulation.”

From hormonal humor to emotional vulnerability, Lorde navigates her evolving identity with lines like:

“Some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man.”

It’s a powerful moment of gender reflection that marks a continued theme in her recent interviews, suggesting Virgin may be her most intimate and experimental project yet.

A Horny, Hypnotic Visual

The “Hammer” music video, directed by Renell Medrano, is visually lush and unabashedly sensual. Lorde lounges in a mesh hammock, frolics with pigeons, dances with friends, and possibly gets inked on-screen, all while radiating chaotic serenity. It’s a shift from her usual restraint, leaning into raw, embodied energy.

There’s weed-smoking by a lake, naked moments in the sun, and an overall sense that Lorde is freeing herself from both genre and image constraints. It may be the most uninhibited visual she’s ever released.

Fans React to “Hammer”

Online, fans have been quick to crown “Hammer” as one of Lorde’s boldest tracks yet. On X (formerly Twitter), the reaction was swift and breathless. One user wrote, “Lorde’s new single is a whole vibe, I’m here for it.” Another posted, “Obsessed with this shot from Lorde’s music video for Hammer.”

Others praised the song’s fluidity, both in sound and subject matter. “The lyrics on Hammer might actually be some of Lorde’s very best, and that’s not even the best aspect of the song. Hammer certified banger!” said one viral post.

Virgin Era Incoming

Following the singles “What Was That” and “Man of the Year,” “Hammer” sets the tone for what’s shaping up to be one of the most intriguing pop albums of the year. Virgin features a stacked roster of collaborators including Blood Orange’s Devonté Hynes, Daniel Nigro, and Fabiana Palladino.

An international tour begins in September, with artists like Blood Orange, Empress Of, The Japanese House, and Nilüfer Yanya joining her on select dates.

With Virgin, Lorde appears ready to reintroduce herself, not as the brooding minimalist of Melodrama, but as a sensual, shapeshifting provocateur embracing ambiguity, vulnerability, and joy.