If you’ve been anywhere near the music side of the internet lately, you’ve probably seen the chaos. It’s one of those things that starts as a whisper on a Discord server and ends up as a full-blown "did she really do that?" moment on everyone's feed. We’re talking about the lorde bush photo vinyl, a piece of physical media that managed to make a bigger splash than most actual singles do these days.
People were confused. Some were shocked. A lot of people were just trying to figure out if they were looking at a political statement or something way more literal. Honestly, the whole situation is a masterclass in how an artist can use a physical product to spark a massive cultural conversation without saying a word.
The unexpected reveal in the Virgin vinyl
When Lorde announced her fourth studio album, Virgin, back in 2025, everyone knew she was going for something raw. The cover art itself was a literal X-ray of her pelvis, complete with a visible IUD. It was clinical, cold, and undeniably bold. But it was the lorde bush photo vinyl—specifically the 12-inch black vinyl edition with the eight-page booklet—that sent the internet into a tailspin.
Inside the sleeve, nestled among the lyrics and credits, was a high-gloss photo taken by Talia Chetrit. It wasn't a picture of George W. Bush, despite some hilarious (and very wrong) early rumors that spread through the more chaotic corners of Twitter. It was a close-up, intimate shot of the singer herself wearing completely transparent plastic pants.
The "bush" in question? Literal pubic hair.
It sounds almost quaint to talk about it now, but the reaction was intense. You had one half of the internet screaming about "indecency" and the other half pointing out that it's just a body part. Lorde has always been about "full transparency," a phrase she used in her emails to fans during the album cycle, and this was about as transparent as it gets.
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Why the internet lost its mind
The discourse around the lorde bush photo vinyl became this weird lightning rod for a bunch of different issues. For one, people are just not used to seeing natural body hair in high-end pop photography. We’re so conditioned to see everything airbrushed into a smooth, plastic-like finish that seeing a "bush" on a vinyl insert felt like an act of rebellion.
Some fans on Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) started calling it the "Lordeussy" drama, which is... a lot. But behind the memes, there was a real conversation about gender identity and the female gaze. Lorde had recently done an interview with Chappell Roan for Rolling Stone where she talked about her gender feeling "broadened." She mentioned days where she feels like a man and days she feels like a woman.
The photo in the vinyl wasn't meant to be "sexy" in the traditional sense. It felt more like a scientific specimen or a piece of performance art. Using clear plastic pants and no underwear while leaning against a piano is a specific choice. It’s vulnerable but also weirdly distant. It’s the kind of thing that makes you stop and look, which is exactly what a physical record is supposed to do in an era of digital streaming.
Breaking down the variants
If you're a collector, you know that not every version of this record was created equal. This is where the confusion usually starts for people trying to find the lorde bush photo vinyl now.
- The Standard Black Vinyl: This is the one that caused the stir. It features the metallic silver printed inner sleeve and the 8-page full-color booklet where the NSFW image lives.
- The CD Version: Interestingly, the CD booklet used a slightly different crop or edit for some of the images. While it still had the "Virgin" energy, it wasn't the same full-scale reveal as the 12-inch insert.
- The "Eco-Friendly" Variants: Lorde has been vocal about the environmental impact of vinyl since Solar Power. Some of the colored variants (like the clear or marbled versions) had slightly different packaging layouts, leading to a frantic hunt by fans to see which ones contained the specific Talia Chetrit photo.
The George W. Bush rumor
Okay, we have to address the elephant in the room. For about forty-eight hours, there was a persistent rumor that the lorde bush photo vinyl actually contained a hidden photo of former President George W. Bush.
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It was a classic "broken telephone" moment on social media. Someone likely posted "Lorde's vinyl has a bush photo," and because the internet is a fever dream, people assumed she’d made a weird political statement. It didn't happen. There is no political imagery in the Virgin packaging. It was just a pun that got wildly out of hand, though honestly, at this point in pop culture, would anyone have been truly surprised if she had?
The artistic "Why" behind the image
You have to look at the collaborator, Talia Chetrit, to understand why this exists. Chetrit is known for photography that deals with power dynamics and the body. She doesn't do "pretty" photos; she does "real" ones.
By putting this photo in the lorde bush photo vinyl, Lorde was basically forcing the listener to confront the physical reality of the person they were listening to. The album Virgin deals with themes of rebirth, bodily autonomy, and the "jagged" feeling of existing in a body that doesn't always feel like your own.
It’s a far cry from the sun-drenched, "bare butt on the beach" cover of Solar Power. This was colder. Grittier. It was the difference between a vacation and a medical exam.
Actionable insights for collectors
If you are looking to track down a copy of the lorde bush photo vinyl or just want to understand the market for it, here is the deal.
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First, check the labels. Many online retailers added "Parental Advisory: Adult Images" to the description after the initial shipping wave because parents were, predictably, not thrilled. If you're buying second-hand, make sure the 8-page booklet is actually included. Many resellers are stripping the booklets to sell them separately as "art prints," which is a total scam.
Second, don't overpay for the "standard" version just because of the controversy. There were thousands of these pressed. It’s not a "limited edition" rarity yet. The hype is mostly driven by the NSFW nature of the content, but the supply is actually quite high.
Finally, if you’re a fan of the art, look into Talia Chetrit’s other work. Understanding her aesthetic makes the Virgin era make a lot more sense. It wasn't just a "shock" tactic; it was a consistent part of a specific artistic vision that Lorde has been building for years.
The lorde bush photo vinyl will probably go down as one of the most talked-about pieces of physical media of the 2020s. Not because it was "scandalous," but because it reminded everyone that art can still be a little bit uncomfortable. In a world where everything is sanitized for the algorithm, Lorde decided to show us something real, hair and all.
Check the back of your vinyl jacket for the "Parental Advisory" sticker if you're buying this as a gift, and maybe don't open the booklet in the middle of a crowded coffee shop. You’ve been warned.