Before her new record Virgin came out, Loįde began to slowly tell the world about how her gender identity has changed. But she told one of her new friends, Chapel Roan, about it before she was ready to do that.
In a cover story that came out on May 15, Rolling Stone reported that the New Zealand native and the “Pink Pony Club” singer have become friends over the past year. They have talked about Lorde’s changing relationship with gender, among other things. This is what the “Royals” artist said when asked how she identifies now: “[Chappell Roan] asked me this… “So, are you no longer a binary?” she asked.
“I told myself, ‘Some days I’m a woman, and other days I’m a man.'” Lorde went on. “I know that’s not a very good answer, but I don’t want to put it in a box.”
The musician also said that she still thinks of herself as a woman and uses “she” and “her” terms. However, her newfound gender fluidity influenced a lot of the music on her upcoming June album, Virgin. Rolling Stone reports that the first track of the album features her singing, “Some days I’m a woman/Some days I’m a man.”
No matter what, Lorde said she doesn’t think her gender identity is “radical” compared to what most transgender and nonbinary people go through every day. LGBTQ people’s rights have been constantly threatened in the US for years. Roan, who has been a supporter for the community for a long time and is also an artist who identifies as queer, has spoken out many times about this.
“I see these really brave young people, and it’s hard,” Lorde said. If you say it in secret, that’s one thing. But I want to be clear: I’m not trying to take any space from anyone who has more on the line than me. The reason being is that I feel very safe as a rich, straight, white woman.
The star feels awkward about her new gender expression, which is one of many changes in her life since her last record, Solar Power, came out four years ago. Lorde broke up with Universal Music executive Justin Warren after eight years together. “It was so painful, as they all are, but there was real dignity to it,” she told the publication about the breakup. She also got over an eating disorder, which she’s been talking more about in the weeks leading up to Virgin’s June 27 release.
“I felt so hungry and so weak,” she said. She was worried about how many calories and proteins she was eating when Solar Power came out, especially the day it came out. “That morning I was on TV, so I didn’t eat because I wanted the dress to show off my small stomach.” It felt like a life force was being sucked out.
