Lorde and collaborator Jack Antonoff performed together at a recent charity event and surprised audience members with a couple interesting covers during their set.
The event, in its fourth year, comprises a talent show of sorts. It's thrown by Antonoff, his Fun bandmates, and his sister, the designer Rachel Antonoff. The aim is to raise awareness and much-needed funds for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth.
This year's showcase featured musicians and comedians playing stripped-down versions of their biggest hits, as well as covers, and some new material. Among the performers was New Zealand's biggest export outside of The Lord Of The Rings franchise, Lorde.
The biggest moment in the singer's short, four-song set came following a haunting piano cover of popular Carly Rae Jepsen song "Run Away With Me." After finishing up, Lorde made an offhand remark about how nice the gathered crowd at New York's Town Hall was.
This remark prompted an audience member to yell, "In Israel, they're nice too!" A reference to Lorde's recent controversial decision to cancel a recent appearance in the country in light of political unrest there.
Antonoff, who was sat next to Lorde, accompanying the set, reacted angrily. He fought back against the heckler.
"We've raised a shit-ton of money tonight. F--- that negativity," Antonoff said.
Lorde, on her part, promised she'd perform in Israel soon. The moment was followed by a round of applause from the assembled crowd.
The two also performed Roy Orbison's "You Got It," while Antonoff and his bandmates in Bleachers did their take on Cranberries classic "Dreams," in honor of dearly-departed frontwoman Dolors O'Riordan who passed away last week. Spoon covered John Lennon's "Isolation," and Fun's Andrew Dost provided his piano version of Judee Sill's "Waterfall."
Country star Kacey Musgraves performed a couple songs from her upcoming album before declaring herself "an ally for f*****g life" and launching into her LGBTQ power anthem "Follow Your Arrow" with gusto.
The Ally Coalition raised over $190,000 over the course of the evening. Comedians Mike Birbiglia and Phoebe Robinson both shouted out their positive work in the community at the end of their sets.
Lorde's latest album Melodrama is up for Album Of The Year at the upcoming Grammys. Antonoff produced the album and the two grew close over the course of creating it. Lorde even admitted that her collaborator got her hooked on sugary American breakfast cereals in the process.
