Producing Songs I’ve Never Heard: What Was That by Lorde [EPISODE 06]

Lorde and I might have beef after this one 😤

May 14, 2025

Lorde surprised us with a new single - What Was That - so before I let myself take a listen, I decided it would be the perfect track to work with for this week’s video.

I didn’t know too much going in, other than that she’d just performed it live in the middle of the Washington Square fountain. From what little I’d seen, reactions were mixed. A lot of people seemed underwhelmed? (Archie Marks wrote a great piece on that here → What Was That?)

🎤 Here’s the acapella if you want to play along and hear what I heard first:

The vocal felt pretty classic Lorde — minimal, moody, kind of wistful. I immediately imagined something synth-driven, maybe in the world of Dagny or Robyn. Without thinking too much about it I dove in - this week only using sounds from the sample pack:

GLITCH GALAXY: Hyperpop Beats from Sample Tools by Cr2 on Splice

And Then… the Time Signature Happened.

Two seconds in, I realized I was in for a major challenge. The original is, apparently, in 5/4 time — a very untraditional signature, especially for someone (me) without a strong background in drum theory.

I had no idea where to start:

How do I set that up in the DAW?
What’s the groove supposed to be?
Where’s the emphasis?

It felt like nothing was aligning. I tried a ton of directions — dragging things onto the grid, shifting placements, hoping something would click. Eventually, I just tried going by ear… and still, it felt wrong.

I was this close to shutting everything down and picking a different song.

Time To Pivot

Instead of quitting, I shifted focus: I started with the synth parts and let those lead the structure. That helped. I layered some pads and bass, but still felt like it was missing movement or momentum.

There wasn’t much rhythm to build on without percussion, so I added some plucks and a loose arpeggiated synth for texture. I still don’t think I nailed the dynamic shift I wanted, but at that point, I just needed to get something down and not spiral.

How It Ended Up

My version leans into a kind of ethereal alt-pop zone — the verses remind me of Lights by Ellie Goulding. I think that brings something new to the song.

But… the timing? Still messy. And I knew it.

🎧 Haven’t heard the original yet? Check it out here:

When I finally listened to the original, it was weirdly satisfying, like finding the missing puzzle piece. Suddenly, the rhythm made sense. I don’t think there was any way for me to figure that out with the vocals alone.

It’s such a simple, understated track, and I think my lingering frustration with the creative process made me appreciate it even more. The juxtaposition of my struggle with the effortlessness of the original made me a bit awestruck at how it seemed to flow together so seamlessly.

What did you think of Lorde’s version? Were you into it, or did you fall into the “underwhelmed” camp?

Let me know how you think my version compares, and as always, drop any song suggestions for future episodes in the comments