Lorde really does ride for Charli.
Charli XCX brought out Lorde for a performance of “Girl, so confusing” in New York City Monday night, surprising fans. The duet marks a rare stage appearance for the New Zealand-born singer. Though Charli began the song solo in the middle of her set, the crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted into a frenzy as Lorde emerged on a second stage to sing her verse on the remix of the song.
She appeared wearing a dark dress and a slouchy coat with her hair down in her signature curls, somewhat mirroring Charli’s look. (Perhaps a reference to the line, “People say we’re alike, they say we’ve got the same hair…”) The two strutted and sang their hearts out together, then ended with a hug before Lorde left the stage. People were still buzzing with excitement and shock when Troye Sivan, who’s co-headlining the tour with Charli, arrived for the next song.
Charli and Lorde created a stir (and perhaps healed a nation?) when their collab initially dropped over the summer. Long story short: When fans heard “Girl, so confusing” on Charli’s album brat, they speculated it was about Lorde, one of her pop peers, competitors, and friends. Weeks later, Charli invited Lorde to appear on the song, and she obliged. Lorde addressed their complicated friendship, how the industry pitted them against each other, and her own insecurities about her body image. Not only was the song startlingly—and refreshingly—vulnerable and relatable to female friends everywhere, it’s also a certified bop. Charli would go on to invite Lorde to her exclusive birthday party in August, and a month later, they brought the song to life onstage together. It looks like they really did work it out on the remix.
Lorde wasn’t the only guest; Charli also brought out Addison Rae (her pop protégé of sorts) earlier in the night to perform Rae’s latest single “Diet Pepsi,” which Charli and Troye joined. Rae returned once more for her “Von dutch” remix with Charli. And British singer and DJ Shygirl, of course, is opening for the tour.
Charli’s setlist comprised of hits from brat—including the extended version (“Spring breakers”)—from “360” to “Club classics” to “Apple.” Plus, she wove in additional past hits like “Vroom Vroom,” “Speed Drive,” “Rollercoaster,” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It.” Every few songs, she alternated with her co-headliner Troye, who performed tracks from his 2023 album, Something to Give Each Other, (like “Rush” and “Got Me Started”) along with other favorites like “My My My!” and “Bloom.” Together, the duo turned MSG into a club of their own, with legions of lime green- and mesh-adorned fans thrashing and sweating along with them.
This is the latest show on Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s joint Sweat tour, which kicked off on September 14 in Detroit. Next, they’ll head to Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on September 25. We wonder who else they’ll bring out for guest appearances before the tour wraps on October 23.
Get tickets to the Sweat Tour here on Ticketmaster
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she’s listening to Lorde right now.