Lorde is speaking openly about how chest taping helped her explore her gender identity and express herself more authentically.
The Grammy-winning singer sat down with Dazed magazine for a cover story, released nearly ten years after her first feature in the publication. In the autumn issue, which hits stands worldwide on Thursday (September 11), Lorde looked back at a pivotal moment in 2023 when she first taped her chest.
“I’d really been feeling this stuff bubble up and talking about it a lot in therapy. We started writing the song, and I saw this TV performance of it [in my mind’s eye], and it wasn’t even finished. And in the performance I saw myself in jeans, no shirt. And I thought about how I would actually do that on TV. It wasn’t a bra,” she explained.
She continued: “I had this roll of tape and grabbed it, put my jeans on, taped up, and saw myself – and was like, ‘F–k, that’s me.’ Suddenly, I could see it. It was scary.”
That moment coincided with her work on “Man of the Year,” a song that reflected some of her evolving thoughts about gender and performance.
This isn’t the first time Lorde has spoken about gender identity. In a previous Rolling Stone interview, she revealed that fellow artist Chappell Roan once asked if she identified as non-binary.
The Dazed interview gave Lorde a chance to clarify what happened. “I think I misquoted that – I feel really bad. She said, very sweetly, something like, ‘So your pronouns are changing?’”
At present, Lorde says she isn’t changing her pronouns but remains open about how she experiences gender on a day-to-day basis.
“Right now, it feels as it should. But some days, I can’t wear women’s clothes. I’ve had to figure out how to have my make-up done in a way that doesn’t make me feel trapped or tight or like the wrong thing,” she explained.
For Lorde, the process is ongoing. “It’s all a journey,” she concluded.
By sharing her story, Lorde offers a glimpse into the deeply personal side of gender exploration. Her honesty reflects the broader conversations happening in music and culture today, where more artists are choosing to embrace fluidity and authenticity rather than conforming to rigid labels.
