Lorde has explained why she has been forced to cancel her scheduled live performance at this weekend’s MTV Video Music Awards.

The New Zealand artist had been set to perform at the Barclays Center in New York on Sunday (September 12), but her live performance at the ceremony was scrapped last week due to “a change in production elements”.

Lorde has now given a further explanation of the reasons behind why she cancelled her VMAs performance in a new message that was sent out to her fans on her mailing list.

“I saw some people were very concerned about me pulling out of the VMAs, you’re so sweet, I’m totally fine!” Lorde wrote.

The artist then highlighted the COVID safety protocols that will be in place at the VMAs, which would impact on her desired performance.

“It’s just that we were planning this insanely amazing many-bodied intimate dance performance, not fully understanding the (very necessary!) safety protocols that are in place, and the masking and distancing just meant it wasn’t gonna be what I dreamed, and you know I can’t make something less than outstanding for you guys,” Lorde explained.

“I hope you understand. There will be many more TV performances, don’t you worry.”

Lorde has also released a new companion EP to her latest album ‘Solar Power’, titled ‘Te Ao Mārama’.

The new release features five songs from ‘Solar Power’ that are sung entirely in te reo Māori, the indigenous language of the singer’s birthplace Aotearoa, or New Zealand.