There is always something or someone going viral on TikTok, and this time, it’s the Grammy-winning artist Lorde. 

Lorde made her debut in the industry in 2013 with her smash hit ‘Royals’ when she was just 16 years old. 

She became the youngest female artist in 26 years to top the Billboard Hot 100, a feat previously achieved by Tiffany in 1987 with ‘I Think We’re Alone Now.’

The musician quickly climbed to the top with hits after hits, and in 2017, she released her second album Melodrama.

And one of the more popular tracks on the album was ‘Writer in the Dark,’ which she co-wrote and co-produced with Jack Antonoff. 

The lyrics lament about an ex-lover, in which Lorde says she will always love him, but she also needs to move on with her life. 

‘Writer in the Dark’ was included on her 2017 Melodrama World Tour setlist. And thanks to TikTok, a video of her performance has gone viral on the app. 

Lorde Goes Viral for Shushing Crowd

In the viral TikTok video, Lorde was singing an acapella version of ‘Writer in the Dark’ at her 2017 concert. 

The crowd joined in with the singer but was suddenly “shushed” by her, who then continued her solo performance. 

Netizens are now divided in their reaction. 

Some people said Lorde shushing the crowd was rude as her fans who paid to be there should have been allowed to enjoy the show by singing along with her. 

They added that the performance got “awkward” and “embarrassing” after the audience stopped singing along.

And a handful who were more irritated that some said they would sing even louder if the singer had silenced them. 

The other half supported the singer, saying that the singer did the right thing. User @quinzy_ray on Twitter reshared a TikTok commending the singer's action.

Over on Reddit, Lorde’s supporters were saying criticizers failed to consider that the performance in question was during a small and intimate show for less than 300 people. 

Lorde during her performance

Lorde shushing the crowd during her performance. (Source: dxhoex/Twitter)

They added that the singer didn’t have the habit of asking people to be quiet during her concerts. 

User Lashar Offers Her Insight on the Viral Video

According to Newsweek, who reached out to TikToker, @real_lady_hands, who goes by Coco Lashar, people were harsh on Lorde.

She said that show the show happened on June 16, 2017, at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on the day of Melodrama’s release. 

Sirius XM had hosted the show for a select group of subscribers. 

“People are so hard on her. Out of context, the video seems really awkward so [I] get why people are freaking out about it, but at the time it felt like part of an intimate concert,” Lashar told the outlet. 

Lashar opined that Lorde shushed the crowd because her performance was being live-streamed on Sirius XM and performing the song acapella. 

But for the rest of the show, everyone sang along. So far, Lorde has not addressed the situation.