Review: Lorde is a woman in command of her sensuality and artistry at 'Ultrasound' show
About halfway through her Friday-night set at the United Center, Lorde performed “The Louvre,” a 2017 song about a summer romance.
“They’ll hang us in the Louvre,” she sings, referencing the beauty of the partnership.
The lyrics could also be applied to Lorde’s Ultrasound World Tour, which unfolded like an experimental art piece you couldn’t look away from. She chose myriad shades of blue for her color scheme, which was reflected in everything from the lighting to her jeans and T-shirt. She played around with movement, bringing interpretive dance to the stage and even performing part of a song while running on a treadmill. She used the LED display as if it were part of a video installation, projecting her image onto the screen — sometimes using handheld cameras — and distorting the result with light, filter and color.
But the pièce de résistance was Lorde herself. There were intentional close-ups of her eyes, glitter-covered face and abdomen. She also made a show of dancing, strutting, flexing her muscles and accentuating lyrics with her hands.
Overall, she came off like a woman in complete command of her body, sensuality and artistry.
That confidence is expressed on her latest album, “Virgin,” which arrived in June, four years after her polarizing, folk-inspired "Solar Power." “Virgin's” cover image depicts an X-ray of a pelvis and an intrauterine contraceptive device — hence the name of the tour. Lorde has said that the title and imagery do not allude to sexual purity, but transparency and a newness of self. The songs on the dance- and synth-pop project find the 28-year-old New Zealand singer (born Ella Yelich-O’Connor) embracing a new phase of womanhood. And she is candid about navigating life’s challenges, including breakups, career setbacks, eating disorders and generational trauma.
Lorde’s new era was warmly received by a devoted audience in Chicago, the second stop on the tour. The superstar took the stage after opening acts Chanel Beads and The Japanese House, and seemed overwhelmed by the packed house.
“Wow, you guys are so incredible,” she said at one point. “I’m shook. I never thought I would do a tour this big ever again.”
She also complimented Chicago as a “no bulls--- city.”
The set list was dominated by the “Virgin” album, which she performed in its entirety. While other artists choose to close their sets with their biggest song, Lorde made the bold move of placing her No. 1 hit, “Royals,” as the second song in the lineup. She opened with “Hammer,” which includes the line, “Some days I’m a woman, some days I’m a man.” Though Lorde does not identify as nonbinary, she has publicly spoken about embracing a more expansive gender expression. She explores similar themes on “Man of the Year,” which she performed in a recreation of her duct-tape top from the video.
Lorde was willing to be more definitive about another aspect of herself during the night.
“I’m a freak,” she told the audience in reference to her candor in writing about sex. “The fact that I’m up here means that you’re freaks as well.”
She probes that subject matter in “Shapeshifter,” “Current Affairs” and “Clearblue” — a stunning, a cappella piece featuring arresting vocal harmonies and thoughtful commentary on intimacy and freedom. A self-described poet, Lorde's songs are rarely about one thing, and her lyrics are clearly appreciated by her fans. At the United Center, they sang — and hung on — every word.
But Lorde has the ability to make listeners think and move.
“Chicago, you better dance!” she shouted during her set.
The crowd obliged, especially during "Supercut" and "Green Light," both tracks from her popular 2017 album, "Melodrama."
The attendees also gravitated toward the rock-flavored "Virgin" track "If She Could See Me Now," which has a line that fittingly describes Lorde's power as a writer: “I bring the pain out the synthesizer / The bodies move like there's spirits inside 'em.”
After delighting fans by walking into the crowd during a rendition of "David," Lorde closed the show with "Ribs," a song about the pain and beauty of getting older.
Though the song was written more than a decade ago, it holds resonance for the singer, who has had to navigate growing up in the public eye since releasing her debut album as a teenager. Now, she can look back and appreciate how far she has come — a sentiment expressed on her 2025 song, "GRWM": “2009 me'd be so impressed.”
Lorde Ultrasound World Tour Set List at United Center Sept. 19
Hammer
Royals
Broken Glass
Buzzcut Season
Favourite Daughter
Perfect Places
Shapeshifter
Current Affairs
Supercut
No Better
GRWM
The Louvre
Oceanic Feeling
Big Star
Liability
Clearblue
Man of the Year
If She Could See Me Now
Team
What Was That
Green Light
David
Ribs