Lorde’s Surprise NYC Appearance Shut Down by Police

Lorde texted her fans to meet her “in the park” on Tuesday and those who figured it out headed to New York’s Washington Square Park in droves.

However, the nearly 10-acre park in Lower Manhattan was swarmed with hoards of people as fans climbed on trees and lamp posts to get a glimpse of the star. Park rangers and local police reportedly told those gathered that the event was cancelled, seemingly before Lorde even arrived. Around the same time, Lorde took to Instagram stories to address the situation, writing: “Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down I am truly Amazed by how many of you showed up !!!” The singer-songwriter added: “But they’re telling me you gotta disperse … I’m so sorry.”

The NYPD did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.

Earlier this month, Lorde teased her new single “What Was That” with her first-ever TikTok video. In the video, she is seen walking through the same park, listening to a preview of the single. She has since announced that she’ll be releasing the debut single off her fourth album on April 25.

In lieu of her newsletter as a means of updating her fans, Lorde has been connecting with her followers via text. She released a voice memo after appearing at Coachella to perform “Girl, so confusing” with Charli XCX. In it, she talked about the performance and previewed her new era a little more.

“I just wanted to say hi because everything is about to change and these are really the last moments where it’s just us, which is crazy but so right,” Lorde said. “I’m so ready. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to say that, but I am. I’m so thankful for your patience. I’ve felt your love, I’ve felt you right there. This is gonna be crazy, you have no idea.”

The audio notes seem to be part of a quicker, off-the-cuff way Lorde wants to communicate new music to her audience. “I’m in the zone, not wanting to think too hard about how to communicate,” Lorde said. “I don’t want to be stressing about capturing the moment with the right language. What if it’s just about saying it, maybe getting it wrong, and that being okay?”