When Lorde finally announced the Lorde Solar Power Tour after a four-year hiatus, people were actually kinda confused. You’ve got this global pop star who, just a few years earlier, was selling out massive arenas on the Melodrama circuit with neon-soaked aesthetics and high-intensity synth-pop. Then, she shows up with a sundress and an acoustic guitar, talking about the cicadas. It was a pivot that felt jarring to anyone expecting Pure Heroine 2.0.
The tour wasn't just a series of concerts. It was a literal manifesto on how to exist as a famous person without losing your mind. She swapped the flashing strobe lights for a giant, rotating sundial. She traded the 20,000-seat stadiums for intimate theaters and outdoor amphitheaters. Honestly, it was a gutsy move. Most artists at her level are pressured by labels to maximize every single cent of touring revenue, which usually means playing the biggest rooms possible. Lorde did the opposite. She went smaller. She went quieter.
The Logistics of Intimacy
The tour kicked off in April 2022 in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry House. If you were there, you’ll remember the vibe was incredibly specific. It felt like a cult meeting in the best way possible. By choosing smaller venues like the Radio City Music Hall in New York or the Roundhouse in London, she forced a level of connection that you just can't get when you're a tiny speck on a Jumbotron.
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The stage design was the real MVP here. Designed by Es Devlin—the same genius who has worked with Kanye West and Beyoncé—the set featured a massive wooden staircase that doubled as a sundial. It didn't use any LED screens. Not one. In 2022, that’s basically unheard of for a major pop tour. Everything was about the natural passage of time and the warmth of the light. It was analog. It was slow. It was exactly what the Solar Power era demanded.
She played about 20 songs a night, usually splitting the setlist between the new, breezy tracks like "The Path" and "Mood Ring" and the high-energy classics like "Green Light." It was a weird tension. You’d have a thousand people trying to be "chill" during a folk song and then absolutely losing their collective minds the second the opening chords of "Ribs" hit.
What People Got Wrong About the Setlist
A lot of critics at the time complained that the Solar Power tracks didn't have the "thump" required for a live show. They were wrong. Live, "California" sounded like a shimmering dream, and "Big Star" became a devastating moment of collective grief. The tour proved that Lorde isn't just a "vibe" artist; she’s a conductor of energy. She knew exactly when to pull the audience in close and when to let them scream.
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Interestingly, she also used the tour to showcase her growth as a vocalist. On the Melodrama tour, she relied a lot on backings and atmospheric layers. For the Lorde Solar Power Tour, the arrangements were stripped back, leaving her voice front and center. It was raw. Sometimes it was even a little pitchy, but that felt intentional. It was human.
Sustainability Wasn't Just a Buzzword
You can't talk about this tour without mentioning the environmental angle. Most "green" tours are just a PR stunt where the band uses paper straws while flying private jets between cities. Lorde actually tried to do the work. She partnered with Eco-演出 (Eco-Concert) initiatives to minimize the carbon footprint of the production.
The merch was a huge part of this. She famously ditched CDs for the album release, opting for a "Music Box" that was essentially a cardboard case with a download code. For the tour, the apparel was made from recycled materials and organic cotton. It was expensive, yeah, but it was a statement against the fast-fashion waste usually associated with band tees.
- Venue selection: Primarily chose venues with existing sustainability protocols.
- Waste management: Strict "no single-use plastic" rules backstage and in many front-of-house areas.
- Carbon Offsetting: Investing in permanent carbon removal rather than just cheap "credits."
She faced some heat for the ticket prices, though. When you play smaller rooms, the supply is lower and the demand is higher. Fans were frustrated with the "dynamic pricing" models on platforms like Ticketmaster, which saw some seats skyrocketing into the hundreds of dollars. It was a weird contradiction: a tour about "escaping the system" that was still very much beholden to the corporate machinery of the music industry.
The "Shush" Heard 'Round the World
One of the funniest and most controversial parts of the Lorde Solar Power Tour wasn't even the music. It was the "shushing." A video went viral of Lorde shushing the crowd during an acoustic performance of "Writer in the Dark." The internet, being the internet, turned it into a massive meme.
But if you look at the context of the tour, it makes sense. She wanted these shows to be a sacred space. She was trying to create a moment of silence in a world that is incredibly loud. While the meme was funny, the actual experience of being in that room when she went a cappella was intense. It was a reminder that the audience is a part of the performance, not just consumers of it.
Regional Highlights and Cancellations
The tour was a marathon, spanning North America, Europe, and eventually her home turf in New Zealand and Australia. The "Solar Power" shows in New Zealand were particularly emotional. After multiple delays due to COVID-19 and weather events (like the Auckland floods), she finally performed at Western Springs.
Seeing her perform "Solar Power" in the actual sun of a New Zealand summer felt like the cycle was finally complete. She looked relieved. The audience looked relieved. It was a homecoming that felt earned.
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Lessons for Future Tours
The Lorde Solar Power Tour changed the conversation about what a "pop star" is allowed to do. It proved that you don't have to follow the trajectory of "bigger, louder, faster." You can retreat. You can go into the woods, find a flute, and bring that energy to the stage.
If you're an artist or a fan looking back at this era, the biggest takeaway is the value of tonal consistency. Lorde didn't try to make Solar Power look like a rave. She leaned into the beige, the gold, and the blue. She created a world and invited us into it.
Next Steps for Fans and Researchers:
To truly understand the impact of this tour, you should look into the work of Es Devlin regarding stage geometry; her designs for Lorde are often cited in architectural studies of temporary spaces. Additionally, check out the Reverb annual reports, which track the actual environmental impact of major tours like this one. If you missed the live show, the fan-captured footage of "The Path" from the Primavera Sound festival remains the best representation of the tour's scale and spiritual intent.