Lorde opens up about feeling ‘trapped' post ‘Virgin' success

Lorde just talked about why she feels “trapped.”

In her latest chat with BBC Radio 1, the Ribs singer confessed to feeling "so trapped and so tight in this very kind of straight-ahead femininity."

She further explained to the station that her journey started in a "pretty basic" way, with her realizing that she did not want to stay restricted to only women's clothing at a photo shoot.

"Because some days that will feel so tight and I'll feel so trapped," the 28-year-old artist admitted, adding, "The same with my make-up. I say to people now just treat it like male grooming - don't overcook it. Because the same thing happens, I get all stuck and tight and I can't express myself."

The Royals hitmaker also discussed that her 2025 Met Gala look, featuring a cummerbund, which is a rather traditional masculine accessory, was a nod to her evolving expression on gender identity.

"I feel a lot more expansive, a lot bigger and my definition of what's beautiful is really different now. I think it will just keep unfurling and I'm down for that,” Lorde told the outlet.

Her discussion on gender identity comes after the Girl, So Confusing talent spoke to Rolling Stone over her identity, explaining, that she has always felt "in the middle gender-wise" and identifies as "a woman except for the days when I'm a man."

It is also pertinent to mention that Lorde released her fourth studio album, titled, Virgin, in June 2025, by the grace of which she topped multiple music charts in the UK and US including reaching #1 on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums chart, a legacy that all four of her projects have maintained.