Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Friday Video

Friday Video: Check Out Lorde On a Bike!

The Kiwi singer is on the top of the charts — and in our bike-riding hearts.

Lorde: Out and about!

|"What Was That"

Lorde, who likes performing in the great outdoors, is back with a new video that (among other things) celebrates the feeling of being free to move about a city without those damn fucking cars all over the place.

Look, we won't offer an opinion on the song, "What Was That" — hey, our tastes are mostly limited to Jimmy and the Jaywalkers and Bob Dylan's "Jesus" period — but you gotta hand it to the 28-year-old Kiwi star: She loves to be on a bike (among other things!).

The video climaxes in Washington Square Park, where the singer did indeed film the other day (the Times even covered it; yes, when public space is being used for cool things, even the Gray Lady takes notice).

But our eyes alighted on the appearance of the Queensboro Bridge in the background of the video, which may not be a coincidence. Given how much she obviously loves biking, perhaps Lorde is saying (as we all have been saying) that the Department of Transportation must finally open the South Outer Roadway to pedestrians so cyclists can be safer.

After all, given that this entire video seems to have been shot, edited and released in two days, why has it taken the DOT six years to open a sidewalk?

Check it out:

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Budget Crunch: Advocates Push Mamdani For Massive Fair Fares Expansion

The expansion would offer free transit on the subway and bus for people making up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, which is not a lot.

February 5, 2026

AV Snub: School Bus Drivers Close The Doors On Autonomous Vehicles

School bus drivers are joining the chorus of opposition to a possible statewide expansion of Waymo, but it could be too late.

February 5, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines: Menin to the Rescue Edition

Al fresco is back on the menu, Council Speaker Julie Menin said on Wednesday. Plus more news.

February 5, 2026

Commentary: US DOT’s Misguided War on Bikeways

"European genes do not produce some kind of innate affinity for human-powered mobility — [and] people on any continent will use bike infrastructure if it is safe."

February 5, 2026

City Council to Bring Back Year-Round Outdoor Dining After Adams-Era Decimation

New Council Speaker Julie Menin wants to scrap Adams-era rules that shrunk the program to just 400 approved locations from a pandemic era high of 8,000.

February 4, 2026

Meet Steve Fulop, Corporate New York’s New Mouthpiece

Streetsblog sat down with former Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop last week to discuss his new role at the Partnership for New York City.

February 4, 2026
See all posts