Lorde took a stand against AI smartglasses during her performance at the Real Cool Festival in Madrid on Thursday, delivering a passionate critique that has since ricocheted across social media. While she did not name a specific brand, the context of the festival — sponsored by Ray-Ban, which collaborates with Meta on AI glasses — made her target clear. “You don’t know if someone is wearing sunglasses or if they’re wearing those fucked up fucking… Can I just say, for the record, fuck the glasses. Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy,” she told the crowd, according to videos shared online.
The timing of Lorde’s remarks is significant. Meta is facing increasing scrutiny over its smart glasses lineup, particularly as it reportedly prepares to launch a pair of “super sensing” glasses capable of continuous recording. These developments have intensified debates about privacy, consent, and the role of wearable AI in public spaces. Lorde’s comments tap into a broader unease among artists and audiences who feel that such technology undermines the authenticity of live events — a theme she echoed earlier in her speech when she thanked fans for participating in “something real.”
Lorde’s history of speaking out
This is not the first time Lorde has used her platform to address social or technological issues. The New Zealand singer-songwriter, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O’Connor, rose to international fame in 2013 with her debut album Pure Heroine and the breakout single “Royals.” Since then, she has been known for her thoughtful, often critical takes on celebrity culture, consumerism, and digital life. In 2017, she released Melodrama, which explored themes of heartbreak and youth, and in 2021 she dropped Solar Power, an album heavily influenced by environmental concerns and a desire for simplicity and connection with nature.
Her stance against AI glasses aligns with her broader artistic identity. Lorde has often expressed discomfort with the hyper-connected, surveilled world of modern fame. In interviews, she has discussed the pressure to maintain a polished online presence and the exhaustion of constantly being watched. By speaking out against smartglasses, she is not only criticizing a product but also pushing back against a cultural shift that she believes erodes genuine human interaction.
The Ray-Ban Meta collaboration in focus
Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses are a joint venture between the iconic eyewear brand and Meta (formerly Facebook). They look like ordinary Ray-Ban sunglasses or wayfarers but are equipped with built-in cameras, microphones, speakers, and an integrated AI assistant. Users can take photos, shoot videos, stream live to their social platforms, and ask the AI to identify objects or provide information — all without pulling out a phone. Meta has marketed the glasses as a hands-free way to capture moments, especially in contexts like concerts, travel, and everyday life.
But the product has also attracted criticism. Privacy advocates worry that the discreet nature of the glasses makes it easy to record people without their knowledge. Unlike Google Glass, which had a prominent LED indicator, Ray-Ban Meta glasses do not always make it obvious when they are recording. Lorde’s “not sexy” comment is a direct hit at this lack of transparency. Her use of the word “sexy” is particularly pointed: it dismisses the cool factor that Ray-Ban and Meta rely on to sell the product. By declaring the glasses unstylish and invasive, she attacks the very brand appeal that makes them desirable.
Meta’s response and industry context
Meta has not yet publicly responded to Lorde’s remarks, but the company has been actively pushing its smart glasses as the next frontier of personal technology. In recent months, Meta opened the glasses to third-party developers and introduced features like real-time translation and beacon-based location sharing. The company’s long-term vision, as outlined by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, involves fully immersive augmented reality experiences delivered through lightweight, stylish frames.
However, the road to mass adoption is bumpy. Early reviews of Ray-Ban Meta glasses have been mixed: while critics praise the audio quality and convenience, many point out the limitations of the camera and the incomplete integration of AI capabilities. Moreover, privacy incidents — such as viral videos of users filming strangers without consent in bars or on public transit — have fueled negative press. Lorde’s comments add a celebrity voice to the chorus of skepticism.
Interestingly, Lorde’s set at Real Cool Festival was followed by a performance from Blackpink’s Jennie, who serves as a Ray-Ban Meta AI ambassador. Jennie has appeared in advertising campaigns for the glasses on Instagram and in videos screened between sets at the festival. The juxtaposition of these two artists — one denouncing the product, the other endorsing it — highlights the divided opinions even within the entertainment industry. It also underscores the tension between artistic integrity and commercial sponsorship, a dynamic that plays out at festivals worldwide.
Expanding the conversation
Lorde’s outburst is more than a rock star rant; it is a symptom of a growing backlash against wearable AI. Similar concerns have been raised by musicians and comedians who worry about unauthorized recordings of their shows. Some venues now ban smartglasses explicitly, and a few artists have resorted to asking audiences to put phones in locked pouches. The fear is that if every pair of sunglasses can record, the line between audience and paparazzi will disappear entirely.
From a legal perspective, the use of smartglasses in public spaces remains largely unregulated. In the United States, consensual expectations vary by state, but generally, recording in public is allowed as long as there is no expectation of privacy. However, the ease and inconspicuousness of the technology may outpace existing laws. Privacy advocates argue that notice requirements — such as a flashing light or audio cue — should be mandatory on all recording devices. So far, regulators have not imposed such rules on Meta, though some European countries are exploring tighter restrictions.
Beyond legality, there is a cultural dimension. Lorde’s complaint about not knowing “if someone is wearing sunglasses or if they’re wearing those fucked up fucking glasses” speaks to a subtle erosion of trust. Sunglasses have traditionally been a fashion accessory that might convey coolness, mystery, or protection from the sun. Now, they can double as spy gear. This shift transforms everyday social interactions: a person looking at you from across a room might be composing a message, pulling up your social media profile, or recording you. The anxiety this creates has a name — “surveillance creep” — and Lorde has given it a memorable, profanity-laced voice.
The future of smart glasses
Despite Lorde’s criticism, Meta is doubling down. Leaked reports suggest the company is working on a second-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses with improved sensors, better battery life, and a form factor even closer to ordinary sunglasses. There are also rumors of a future “super sensing” model that can record continuously throughout the day, uploading snippets to the cloud for AI analysis. Such capabilities would intensify the ethical questions that Lorde’s comments have already raised.
At the same time, competitors like Apple and smaller startups are racing to develop their own versions of smart eyewear. Apple is rumored to be developing a pair of AR glasses, though they have not yet hit the market. Google, which tried and failed with Glass, is making a comeback with a new enterprise-focused smart glasses partnership. The industry clearly believes that glasses are the next wearable form factor after smartwatches. But Lorde’s diatribe serves as a reminder that technology cannot succeed without social acceptance. If a major star tells millions of fans that a product is “not sexy,” that message can damage the brand’s cachet in ways that no advertising campaign can undo.
For now, Lorde’s words are reverberating through tech and entertainment circles. They have sparked think pieces about privacy, influencer culture, and the role of artists in shaping public discourse. Whether or not they change Meta’s roadmap remains to be seen, but they have certainly given the company’s marketing team a headache. And for fans who were at Real Cool Festival, the moment was unforgettable — a rare instance of a pop star breaking the fourth wall to deliver a blunt truth about the gadgets creeping into our lives.
Lorde finished her set without further elaboration, but the message was clear. In an era where technology increasingly mediates our experiences, she demanded that something remain unmediated, real, and free from the gaze of a lens. Even if she was performing on a stage, under bright lights, with thousands of phones pointed at her, she insisted on drawing a line. As she put it: “something real.” The irony, of course, is that the very recordings of her speech that went viral were captured on phones and cameras — technologies that are themselves invasive. But that didn’t stop her from singing out against the ones she sees as the next frontier.
Source: The Verge News