Fans divided by Lorde’s ‘disgusting’ spit-themed post

Singer Lorde has divided fans with a “disgusting” post in which she is seen spitting from a balcony.

The “Royals” star, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, wore a black dress and her hair loose as the thick glob of fluid dripped from her mouth.

“Use the existing tools wherever possible,” she wrote in the caption of the post alongside a series of cryptic symbols including the letter “L” and a number “4” which fans interpreted to refer to her fourth studio album after the release of Solar Power in 2021.

“If the tools do not exist you are spiritually obliged to create them.” she added.

The 27-year-old has been on a social media hiatus for a couple of years, interrupting her break only to post a picture of herself in a bikini while on tour in Norway in August 2023.

Fans were simultaneously disgusted and excited by the post as they speculated she could be teasing new music.

“Okay but what does this mean and if it means new music WHEN LORDE WHEN,” wrote one fan in the comments.

Others were less impressed as they chastised, “She is so disgusting for that”.

“She’s actually demonstrating what will happen if you don’t stay silent at her concerts,” joked one person, referring to footage of her seen shushing a crowd at a concert in 2017.

“She’s back. Be nice. And make a good community around her so she sticks around,” wrote one person as they encouraged more civility in the reactions.

Regardless of the repulsion expressed by some, her most loyal fans celebrated the spitting as they shared gifs of people with their arms wide open in the rain and said, “Me trying to catch it”.

Other pictures in the enigmatic carousel include a pile of books including spiritual transformation title After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield and author Annie Ernaux’s memoir, Getting Lost. A picture of a pill with the words “SPIT” was also included in the group of images.

The post is currently the only one on Lorde’s Instagram page where she boasts 10.9 million followers.

Last year the singer hinted that she had split with her long-term boyfriend Justin Warren in a letter to fans subscribed to her newsletter.

“I’m living with heartbreak again,” Lorde revealed, possibly suggesting a rumoured split with Warren. “It’s different but the same. I ache all the time, I forget why and then remember. I’m not trying to hide from the pain, I understand now that pain isn’t something to hide from, that there’s actually great beauty in moving with it. But sometimes I’m sick of being with myself.”