Lorde has performed her new single Solar Power live for the first time during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York.
The Kiwi pop artist debuted the hit title track from her highly anticipated upcoming new album on the rooftop of the Ed Sullivan Theatre on Friday – becoming the first musical artist to do so on the popular US chat show.
She wore a yellow crop top and skirt and performed the track with her eight-piece band with the late afternoon New York City skyline providing a stunning backdrop.
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Lorde performing her new single on top of Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York.
Along with the production crew, there appeared to be a small number of guests on hand to witness the performance.
It also the first time a singer has performed live on The Late Show since Covid-19 spread to the US, while it was also Lordes first live performance since her Melodrama world tour ended in 2018.
It gave fans a taste of what they can look forward to when Lorde makes a long awaited return to stages after dates for her global Solar Power Tour 2022 were announced last month.
For the first time in five years, she will perform around New Zealand and Australia next February and March.
Lorde will then head further abroad, for an extensive run of shows across Europe, the UK, and North America in 2022.
Expectations among fans were high this week after she was photographed leaving the CBS network studios on Wednesday, after which Colbert confirmed she would be performing on The Late Show.
The 24-year-old Aucklander, also known as Ella Yelich-O’Connor, has made semi-regular appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and was last on his show just a few weeks ago to talk about her upcoming album.
Lorde’s performance on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theatre is the first live performance for The Late Show since the pandemic.
She appeared via video link from Los Angeles on June 22 and was asked how Kiwis felt having escaped the worst of the pandemic.
On the show she praised Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern – another familiar face on Colberts programme – for her handling of the pandemic.
Make no mistake, were lucky to have a really calm, steady government through that time, she said.
She had previously appeared with Ardern on The Late Show, when Colbert travelled to New Zealand to film a week dedicated to exploring Aotearoa.
It was the first time Colbert and Lorde had met, with the American talkshow host making his mark with a classic prank.
During a barbecue at Arderns Auckland residence, he gave the pop star a canister of peanut brittle which contained a fake snake that burst out when she opened it.
Lorde later joked that Colbert had some work to do to make it up to her after falling victim to his gag, but the pair are clearly on good terms given her recent appearances on The Late Show.
Lordes new studio album Solar Power – her third following 2017s Melodrama and her 2013 debut Pure Heroine – is set to be released on August 20.
The title track is the only single from the album to be released so far, and marks her first new music in four years.
Lorde has now sold more than 12 million albums worldwide across her career and racked up over 10 billion streams globally.