The title “Ultrasound” follows the album’s theme of complete transparency, as exemplified by the cover art, an X-ray of Lorde’s pelvis. There’s also a recurring interest in gender and female health care; she previously shared that her new music was born after discontinuing her birth control pills, and the X-ray reveals her IUD. (Based on an audio snippet posted to Lorde’s official TikTok, “Ultrasound” may also be the title of a track on Virgin.) “Every show I play is a collaboration between you and me. We meet in a room and we make music together, our bodies and the machines in search of something bigger together,” she wrote in a message to fans that accompanied the tour announcement. “12 years of meeting up and making a sound that’s just for us. Since last time I’ve been stripping away unnecessary layers, finding us more room to move. I think that Ultrasound could be our masterpiece.”
That the Ultrasound World Tour announcement coincided with the election of a new pope is indeed coincidence—or maybe spiritual alignment. The singer announced the lead single “What Was That” right around Easter, prompting lots of “Lorde has risen” jokes. Even the title Virgin is a bit biblical. All of it makes a certain sort of sense for the artist who once declared herself “kind of like a prettier Jesus.”
Meanwhile in Vatican City, the conclave (as made famous by the movie Conclave) concluded after just two days. The gathering of Catholic Church officials chose as its leader Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first-ever American pope. (He, like The A.V. Club, is from Chicago.) Prevost has chosen the new name Pope Leo XIV, per CNN. May the Lord, and the Lorde, be with him. Meanwhile, you can check out the full list of Ultrasound World Tour dates below.
Ultrasound World Tour Dates
09/17—Austin, TX—Moody Center
09/19—Chicago, IL—United Center
09/20—Nashville, TN—The Pinnacle
09/23—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center
09/24—Toronto, ON—Scotiabank Arena
09/26—Boston, MA—TD Garden
09/27—Montreal, QC—Bell Centre
09/30—Philadelphia, PA—Wells Fargo Center
10/01—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden
10/03—Pittsburgh, PA—Petersen Events Center
10/04—Washington, DC—The Anthem
10/07—Duluth, GA—Gas South Arena
10/09—St. Louis, MO—Chaifetz Arena
10/10—Milwaukee, WI—UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena
10/11—Minneapolis, MN—Armory
10/14—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10/17—Las Vegas, NV—MGM Grand Garden Arena
10/18—Inglewood, CA—Kia Forum
10/19—Berkeley, CA—The Greek Theatre
10/21—Portland, OR—Moda Center
10/22—Seattle, WA—Climate Pledge Arena
11/09—Luxembourg—Rockhal
11/10—Paris, France @ Zénith de Paris—La Villette
11/15—Manchester, UK—AO Arena
11/16—London, UK—O2 Arena
11/19—Glasgow, UK—OVO Hydro
11/20—Birmingham, UK—Utilitia Arena
11/22—Dublin, IE—RDS Simmonscourt
11/24—Amsterdam, Netherlands—AFAS Live
11/27—Brussels, Belgium—Forest National
11/29—Bologna, Italy—Unipol Arena
11/30—Zurich, Switzerland—Halle 622
12/01—Munich, Germany—Zenith
12/03—Cologne, Germany—Palladium
12/05—Berlin, Germany—Max-Schmeling-Halle
12/06—Lodz, Poland—Atlas Arena
12/08—Copenhagen, Denmark—K.B. Hallen
12/09—Stockholm, Sweden—Annexet
