"At the beginning of 2023 I was not in a great way on a lot of levels," the singer says. "I'd never felt more disconnected from my creativity." Speaking to Radio 1's Jack Saunders, Lorde, real name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor, says an eating disorder took over her life. "All I was thinking about was trying to weigh as little as possible," she says. "Going to sleep thinking about food, waking up thinking about food and exercise - that was my creative pursuit."

But after a period of recovery, she says, her creativity came flooding back. Virgin, which the New Zealander released on 27 June, is Lorde's fourth album and her most personal to date. "It was hard, it was scary," she says about writing it. "Some songs aren't easy." "I made a lot of changes and really put my artistry front and centre and made that my full-time job and I got a lot of stuff out of the way."

Lorde debuted the album with a surprise set at Glastonbury on the day of its release. "I hadn't been on a stage on my own like that for years," she says, adding that she was "a bag of dust" after her appearance. The Green Light singer previously told Radio 1 how her collab with Charli XCX last year had encouraged her to be more vulnerable in her music. As well as eating and body image, Virgin tackles her relationship with her mum, the end of a long-term relationship and gender identity.  (BBC/ Getty Images)