Lorde debuted a new single at a public park pop-up in NYC. Like with the other spontaneous events in the new town square, which YPulse predicted we’d see more of this year, the singer let her fans know to gather in Washington Square Park on just a few hours’ notice. (Without even saying which park, but thanks to a recent TikTok, they knew where to be.) And because it immediately brought in a huge crowd, the pop-up got shut down by city police—but that didn’t stop it. Lorde played her next release, “What Was That,” off just one speaker for her dedicated fans, making it an intimate and totally unique experience. It’s no surprise so many young people showed out; we know Gen Z is looking for community wherever they can find it, and spending a nice night dancing in the park wouldn’t have been a disappointment either way. (Variety, NYT)
🔍 YPulse predicted: Gen Z will fuel local, organic offline experiences—reviving the townsquare
