Lorde has explained why she rarely uses social media anymore in a new interview with Cazzie David.

The pop star has largely remained off of social networking platforms since mid-2018, although she returned to Instagram in October to encourage New Zealand fans to vote in the country’s election via her Story.

Speaking to David – comedian, author of new book No One Asked For This and daughter of Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David – for Interview, Lorde explained her social media absence.

“Part of what made me peace out on social media, apart from feeling like I was losing my free will, was the massive amounts of stress I was feeling about our planet, about systemic racism, and about police brutality in this country,” she said.

When Lorde posted on her Instagram Story to encourage her fans to vote, she hinted that she could make her musical return next year too. “Do it for our beautiful country,” she wrote. “And next year I’ll give you something in return.”

The musician last released an album in 2017’s ‘Melodrama’. In a five-star review, NME said: “It’s a rudely excellent album, introspective without ever being indulgent, OTT in all the right ways, honest and brave, full of brilliant songs with lyrics to chew over for months.”

Since then, she has been working on new material, most recently giving an update on its progress in May. “The work is so fucking good, my friend,” she said. “I am truly jazzed for you to hear it.”

Lorde also revealed that she’d been working with ‘Melodrama’ producer Jack Antonoff between Los Angeles and Auckland prior to the coronavirus crisis: “Jack and I FaceTimed for over an hour this morning going over everything. But it’ll take a while longer.”