How Old Is Lorde?

Lorde 'truthers' are emerging from the woodwork after the NZ artist's success at the Grammys.

The type of people who usually devote their time to debating whether or not 9/11 was an inside job and where, exactly, Barack Obama was born have turned their attention to Lorde's birth certificate. 

To be clear: Lorde is 17 years old. Well, she says she's 17 years old, and we have absolutely no reason not to believe her. She has no reason to lie. (Sure, Lorde's youth has been a big part of her narrative so far, but lyrics like "I'm kind of older than I was when I reveled without a care" would actually scan a little better if she was older, wouldn't they?)

That hasn't stopped the odd conspiracy theory from floating around Twitter, though.

If lorde's 16 I'm 16

— ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ (@HotSugar) January 27, 2014

She's 27 at the youngest. RT @iluvbutts247: Lorde Age Truthers Unite

— netw3rk (@netw3rk) January 16, 2014

no way lorde is 16 or 17 or whatever though

— Brokey McPoverty (@brokeymcpoverty) January 27, 2014

Good to see Lorde finally getting recognized after her 20+ years in the industry

— Desus (@desusnice) January 27, 2014

In fairness, the Lorde truthers aren't entirely without ammunition — in a recent interview with Tavi Gevinson (a prodigious talent in her own right), Lorde had this to say about the 1999 film 'The Virgin Suicides': "It really resonated with me as a teenager. I mean, I am still a teenager."


Finally, the question can be put to rest — Emma Carmichael at The Hairpin has paid the princely sum of $17.02 for a data printout of Lorde's birth certificate.


Full name? Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor. DOB? 7 November 1996.