Lorde has revealed her first record deal has finally ended

Lorde Opens Up About Leaving Longtime Record Deal

Lorde has revealed her longtime contract with Universal Music Group has officially come to an end after more than a decade.

The Royals hitmaker shared the news in a voice note to fans, explaining that her deal expired at the end of 2025.

At the end of last year, my label deal (my record contract with Universal) came to an end.
I have been in that contract for a very, very long time, in some form … since I was 12 years old, when I signed my first development deal with Universal.

Despite the split, there’s no bad blood. Lorde spoke warmly about the team behind her career, crediting them for helping bring her first four albums to life, beginning with her 2013 debut, Pure Heroine.

“I’ve had an amazing experience with them.
But the truth is that a 12-year-old girl pre-sold her creative output before she knew what it would be like, and before she knew what she was signing away.”

The 29-year-old says she’s open to signing another deal in the future, even returning to Universal, but for now, she’s embracing independence.

I needed to take a second to have nothing being bought or sold that comes from me.
When I see an opportunity for a clean slate, I try to take it. And it does feel different …
I feel a feeling of openness and possibility, and I’m inspired. It just feels exciting to have removed the container or something for a second. 

The announcement comes after Lorde previously opened up about a challenging time in her life, revealing she nearly stepped away from music altogether in 2023.

Speaking to Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1, she admitted she felt disconnected from her creativity.

“At the beginning of 2023 I was not in a great way on a lot of levels.
I'd never felt more disconnected from my creativity.”

She also shared that an eating disorder had taken over her life during that period, impacting her ability to create.

“All I was thinking about was trying to weigh as little as possible.
Going to sleep thinking about food, waking up thinking about food and exercise, that was my creative pursuit.”

By that stage, Lorde had already released Melodrama (2017) and Solar Power (2021). She described her most recent project, Virgin, as a turning point, a chance to be bold and refocus on her artistry.

“It was hard, it was scary. 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.”

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