On Nov. 28, 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that they will now be using a new, preferred name for monkeypox — mpox. The name change was done in order to “reduce stigma” surrounding the virus.
As fans relistened to Lorde’s first two albums, there was a clear expectation her next release would fall within the same vein — dark aesthetics, gloomy introspective lyrics and complex production. But what came to life was completely different.