Lorde finished the set with impassioned renditions of " Ribs " and " Green Light ." The former, which stands as the emotional centrepiece of debut album Pure Heroine, made its first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 in May - 12 years on from its release.

Since then, fans have clamored for Lorde to return to the swooping, alternative synth-pop that defined her early career, which means the stakes are particularly high for Virgin. She has answered the call with an album that isn’t trying to capture something from the past,

Lorde is finally back, as Virgin, the New Zealand superstar’s first album in nearly four years, officially released on Friday.