Lorde Explains How 'Feral and Sexy' Cover Art for 'Solar Power' Came to Be

Lorde’s racy artwork for her upcoming album Solar Power may look like it took a few takes, but as she explains in a new interview, it was just a spontaneous moment captured by a friend.

Speaking with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show this week, the international superstar opened up about her new album, and the artwork for the record—which Colbert says he wasn’t allowed to show on air.

“My friend just took [the photo],” Lorde explained. “It was just me jumping over a friend on a beach… It’s, like, a little hardcore. But it was so joyful to me. It felt innocent and playful and a little bit, like, feral and sexy.”

Stephen was quick to respond by saying, “if I had a butt like that, I’d be jumping over somebody too,” to which Lorde said, “You gotta do it while you got it, you know?”

The Solar Power cover famously features a somewhat NSFW photo of Lorde in a bikini, which got the internet talking when it was released earlier this month.

Also in the interview, Lorde spoke about her upcoming performances and the feeling of going back on tour after years off the road—with her last tour being back in 2018.

“I’m really excited, yeah,” Lorde said. “It sort of doesn’t seem real, but I’m super keen. This album is so joyful and big and such a good thing to experience with a bunch of people, so I’m glad the timing worked out that we could do a tour.”

Solar Powerarrives on Aug. 20 and follows the singer’s 2017 sophomore effort Melodrama. The 12-track project will be available before her 2022 tour, and features pop mainstay Jack Antonoff on production, including on already released lead single “Solar Power.”