What was supposed to be a simple day of filming turned into an NYPD standoff for Lorde, as the singer revealed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on June 24. Her impromptu music video shoot in Washington Square Park nearly ended in handcuffs—and not the metaphorical kind.
One Instagram post, one massive crowd—and a police warning
Ahead of filming the video for her latest track “What Was That?”, Lorde had casually let fans know she’d be at the park. The turnout? Chaos. The NYPD’s counterterrorism unit intervened, citing concerns about crowd control. “They told me flat out—if I stepped foot there, I’d be arrested,” she told Colbert, confirming the surreal encounter.
No permit, no exceptions: The NYPD shuts it down
According to an official statement from the police, the event was unauthorized—no permit, no sound license, no approval for public filming. “They were asked to leave and complied,” read the NYPD's explanation. What began as a fan meet-up quickly escalated into what authorities viewed as a full-blown unpermitted event.
One shot, one chance: A race against time
Eventually, Lorde was allowed to return, but under strict conditions. “You’ve got one shot,” they told her. The pressure was on—she and her team had 24 hours to shoot, edit, and release the music video. “People probably don’t realize it,” she explained, “but we were filming the video for the album’s first single—the one dropping the next day.”
Turning tension into performance
Despite the stress, Lorde returned that evening and delivered. Surrounded by patient fans, she performed “What Was That?” live, making good on her promise. The track is part of her new album Virgin, a project she says reflects a personal and creative expedition.
“Making an album is like being on a mission,” she shared. “You learn, you evolve, you mess up, you try again. That journey becomes the music.”
