Lorde performs her hit song from 2017, “Perfect Places,” as a fan waves her hand along with the music at the Chaifetz Arena on Oct. 9, 2025. Photo by Angela Monteleone.
Ella Yelich-O’Connor, known professionally as Lorde, brought her “Ultrasound World Tour” to Saint Louis University’s (SLU) Chaifetz Arena on Oct. 9, 2025. The tour aims to promote her newest studio album, “Virgin,” while also bringing back some classic fan favorites.
The familiar and heavily distorted vocal sample from her song “Hammer” is played on loop. A neon blue light flashes on every beat, creating a sense of anticipation among the eager audience.
Throughout the concert, Lorde curated a distinct mood, seamlessly transitioning from energetic pop to raw ballads. “Green Light” showcased a persistent piano during the verse, while the chorus later morphed into an upbeat electro-pop song. As green lights flooded the arena, the crowd jumped in sync with Lorde. A few seconds after the song ended, she performed “David,” beginning with only her soft vocals to instantly create serenity in the arena.
Lorde made quite an impression on many young adults who attended her show in St. Louis. Mia Gilstrap, a sophomore at SLU, is one of them.
“I had full-body chills watching Lorde walk through the crowd while singing,” Gilstrap said.
Gilstrap felt that Lorde’s music captured what it’s like to grow up while also navigating the ways the world changes her. She especially felt this during Lorde’s song “Supercut,” because it “perfectly captured the feeling of reminiscing what once was,” said Gilstrap.
Lorde (2017) expresses the feeling of reminiscing about a relationship, “In my head, I play a supercut of us/ All the magic we gave off/ All the love we had and lost.”
The concert was more than just music, though. Each of her specific gestures and dances appeared to be planned ahead of time to perfectly capture the essence of her sound.
She had the help of backup dancers, who displayed sporadic and expressive moves that seemed to match certain lyrics and the emotionally bare musical concepts. During “The Louvre,” a song from her 2017 album “Melodrama,” two dancers mirrored each other’s movements, almost creating an illusion.
When Lorde sang the lyrics “Still I fall,” both of the dancers immediately fell to the floor on each side of her. They then rose simultaneously and crawled towards the back of the stage in perfect unison. The movement of the dancers perfectly emulated the meaning of the song: the conflicting emotions of being in love.
Meredith Kessler, a concert-goer from St. Louis, emphasized how highly choreographed Lorde and her dancers were.
Kessler said she could “feel the emotions of the songs through the dancers and the visuals on screen.” These emotions are translated through her music and lyrics as well. This allowed Kessler, like many others, to gain a sense of comfort from the concert experience.
At the concert, there was a consistent theme in attire among the audience. Many people had shirts with an X-ray image echoing Lorde’s artwork for her album “Virgin.”
Others were more in favor of clothing items that displayed minimalism, reflecting Lorde’s own style during this era. Many fans believe it is a reference to the stripped-down and raw aesthetic of “Virgin.”
Lorde’s performance wasn’t just a showcase of music; it was an entire production. Everything, from the specific color of lights to the exact order of the setlist, was intentional.
