After years away from the public spotlight, Lorde is finally back — and this time, she’s letting her guard down. The New Zealand-born singer, who shot to global fame with her haunting debut Pure Heroine, has re-emerged with a fourth album titled Virgin and a surprisingly candid attitude. From her experiences with MDMA therapy to her reflections on gender identity and heartbreak, Lorde is peeling back layers like never before.
But while fans are loving the new openness, one topic has sparked particular curiosity — Lorde’s love life. For someone who once shied away from even basic interviews, Lorde’s recent revelations about her relationships mark a turning point. Let’s unpack the romantic history of Ella Yelich-O’Connor and how her breakups have shaped the emotional core of her music.
2013–2015: James Lowe — Lorde’s First Public Relationship
Lorde’s first known relationship was with James Lowe, a New Zealand-based photographer. The pair started dating in 2013, when Lorde was just 16 and Lowe was 24. While the age gap sparked some public scrutiny, the couple stayed together for about two years, until parting ways around 2015.
Interestingly, Lorde never publicly confirmed or denied the relationship while it was ongoing. However, her mother, Sonja Yelich, did address the situation in an interview with Rolling Stone, noting, “I didn’t say, ‘Yeah, sure, go date a 24-year-old.’ But her dad and I met James, and we liked him.”
The couple were photographed together at multiple events and social outings. Yelich even shared a picture of the pair on Instagram, further confirming the closeness of their relationship.
When Lorde released Melodrama in 2017, she confessed in an interview with Zane Lowe that her hit track Green Light was inspired by “my first major heartbreak,” widely assumed to be her breakup with Lowe. Although she kept the lyrics open to interpretation, the raw emotion behind the music resonated deeply with fans.
2016(?)–2023: Justin Warren — A Relationship That Was Never Quite Confirmed
After parting ways with Lowe, Lorde was next linked to Justin Warren, a music executive at Universal Music in New Zealand. The dating rumors started swirling in 2016 after the two were spotted having lunch together. At the time, Warren dismissed the speculation, telling the New Zealand Herald, “Ella and I have worked together for years and we’re good friends. Any rumours of us being ‘a pair’ are ridiculous.”
Despite the denial, their connection appeared to deepen over time. Lorde and Warren were frequently seen together in public, and in 2019, engagement rumors caught fire when Lorde was seen wearing a ring on her left hand. Still, neither Lorde nor Warren ever publicly confirmed the nature of their relationship, leaving fans to piece together their story through paparazzi photos and subtle clues.
In a 2023 newsletter to fans, Lorde finally shared a vulnerable update: she was single again and “living with heartbreak.” Though she didn’t name names, it marked a clear end to what many believe was her longest and most significant relationship.
2024: Virgin and a New Chapter Born From Heartbreak
Fast-forward to today, and Lorde is channeling her pain into art. Her latest album, Virgin, is said to be inspired by the emotional aftermath of her recent breakup. In her Rolling Stone cover story, she opened up about the end of that relationship with unexpected maturity and grace: “It was so painful, as [breakups] are, but there was real dignity to it and grace and a lot of respect. It continues to be a relationship that I cherish.”
Fans have already begun dissecting the lyrics from Virgin, speculating which tracks point to Justin Warren, and which reflect her evolution since her time with James Lowe. One thing’s for sure — Lorde’s music, as always, serves as a mirror to her inner world.
A New Lorde: Honest, Healing, and Unapologetically Herself
Lorde’s return marks a profound shift in her public persona. For an artist once defined by mystique and minimalism, her current era is one of openness and emotional clarity. Her willingness to explore identity, therapy, and love in such unfiltered ways adds new depth to her music and gives fans a glimpse of the person behind the poetry.
As the Virgin era continues, Lorde isn’t just reclaiming her place in pop culture — she’s rewriting what it means to be vulnerable, famous, and free.