June 27 is about to be a national holiday because that’s when Lorde’s fourth album, Virgin, comes out. If the lead single,”What Was That,” is any indication, I dare say we’re looking at a Melodrama-level masterpiece — a body of work that could shape the culture and leave the girls, gays, and theys forever changed. The New Zealand native recently unveiled the album’s striking cover art, which is an x-ray of a pelvis (featuring an IUD) with a zipper down the center. The powerful image speaks to the album’s core themes of vulnerability and transparency. “I’M PROUD AND SCARED OF THIS ALBUM,” Lorde wrote in a candid email to fans. “THERE’S NOWHERE TO HIDE. I BELIEVE THAT PUTTING THE DEEPEST PARTS OF OURSELVES TO MUSIC IS WHAT SETS US FREE.” Retweet.

In this new era of truth and liberation, Lorde’s been exploring her gender and sharing some of her revelations while promoting Virgin. Her backless, floating bra at the Met Gala also apparently reflected this ongoing self-discovery. And she recently had an interesting convo with her pop star pal, Chappell Roan, about whether or not she’s nonbinary. So, where is the pop icon at with gender? I rounded up all of Lorde’s quotes about gender identity and expression.

Lorde’s Quotes About Her Gender Identity

What Has Lorde Shared About Her Gender Identity?

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Lorde revealed that she and Chappell Roan have become close, and they’ve had conversations about gender. “She was like, ‘So, are you nonbinary now?‘” Lorde recalled. “I was like, ‘I’m a woman except for the days when I’m a man. I know that’s not a very satisfying answer, but there’s a part of me that is really resistant to boxing it up.” The singer clarified that she identifies as a cisgender woman and still uses she/her pronouns.

At the Met Gala, Lorde rocked a gray corseted skirt with a backless bra, a matching jacket, and some silver jewelry. “It’s something of an easter egg,” she told Emma Chamberlain about the Thom Browne look. “All will be revealed. I just love the open back. To me, it like, really represents where I’m at a gender-wise. I feel like a man and a woman, ya know?” The “Ribs” singer explained that her look was inspired by the cummerbund, which is a waist sash that’s typically part of a tuxedo.

Lorde’s been opening up a lot about the role gender exploration plays in this new chapter. In her Virgin announcement email to fans, she reflected on exploring her “femininity” in this music. “I was trying to make a document that reflected my femininity: raw, primal, innocent, elegant, openhearted, spiritual, masc,” she wrote.

Image Credit: Getty

Lorde also spoke about her evolving sense of gender in an interview with Document Journal. She shared that “What Was That” was partially inspired by her experience of “gender broadening,” and revealed that she immersed herself in queer literature while making the album. “I read a lot about the body in different ways,” Lorde said. “I read a lot of queer writers. I just read all of Annie Ernaux.” She described Virgin as emerging from a “period of great turbulence” in her personal life: “Becoming single, but also really facing my body stuff head-on, and starting to feel my gender broadening a little bit,” she explained.

Well, I’m counting down the days ’till Virgin and cheering Lorde on as she continues to explore and embrace her evolving self!