REVIEW: Lorde at Xfinity Mobile Center
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WRITTEN BY: Aya Soussi
Last Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, I had the absolute pleasure of going to New Zealand native Lorde’s “Ultrasound” tour with my roommates, celebrating the release of her fourth studio album, “Virgin”. Lorde’s last tour was in 2022, so it was a lovely gift from her to grace the stage at the Xfinity Mobile Center for the first time in nearly three years.
At approximately 9:09 p.m., an azure hue filled the arena, and an iridescent spotlight/laser struck across the stage as the beginning notes to the opening track, Hammer, replayed on a loop until Lorde appeared. The energy sent shockwaves throughout the 21,000 other fans in attendance the second her mouth opened. I knew from my first listen of Virgin that the opening track would be the first song she played on tour. Once the first song concluded and the audience was hooked, she then played her 2013 smash hit, “Royals”. From here on out, she had every single spectator wrapped around her finger. I would look around at the people next to me on the floor to see their jaws drop or their hands covering their mouths. We were all in a trance.
Throughout the show, she played songs from Virgin, Melodrama, Solar Power, Pure Heroine and even a single she stated she wrote when she was 15. I was overjoyed to see how proud Lorde was of her past projects, as some concerts I’ve been to have only put emphasis on their most recent album. She really gave us a nostalgic, energetic, somber, and tearful five-course meal. As the piano to Liability played, she told the audience about her emotional journey since releasing Pure Heroine back when she was 16. She noted that the listeners were growing with her and how grateful she was to have us along with her. Her beautiful words transitioning to singing Liability, my eighth-grade crash-out song, instantly made me cry. I could feel the vibration of her microphone in my bones, and it’s safe to say I never had a chill like this at a concert before. I was just absolutely immersed.
After playing the heart-wrenching David from the pit, surrounded by screaming young adults, she went to a smaller stage on the floor 50 feet away from me. At this point, every single song from Virgin was played, and there was one song left on the setlist: the monumental anthem about being afraid to grow up, Ribs. Everyone in the audience knew this was coming. What nobody expected to hear was the first note of the song that snuck its way into the setlist: A World Alone. This song is, without a doubt, my favorite Lorde song. It feels like a warm embrace and a kiss on the forehead for those feelings when you just want to disappear. It also serves as an anthem for making the most out of every moment and finding beauty in the simple pleasures of life. She then told everyone to “dance their hearts out and hold onto your friends,” so that’s what we did. Hearing her, along with everyone else in the crowd, scream the words “You’re my best friend and we’re dancing in this world alone” while latching onto our loved ones around us was the high that I didn’t know that I needed. The people in the pit split away from the squished crowd for dancing room, and the sight was beautiful. This concert was a beacon of hope for me, as it made me realize that life is all about moments like this. “You’re the only friend I need,” and this experience was unlike anything I’ve ever seen myself in. I highly recommend that any Lorde fans consider going to a show.
