Lorde has revealed that she is now an independent artist after her contract with Universal Music Group expired late last year. The singer shared this news in a series of community voice notes to her fans. She stated that she was looking for a "clean slate" after the contract she signed when she was 12, nearly two decades ago, expired in late 2025. The news was confirmed by Variety. Lorde most recently released her fourth album "Virgin" through UMG.