Pop musician Lorde admitted to swimming in the polluted Potomac River during her tour stop in Washington, D.C.
The pop artist is fresh off a tour in her home country of New Zealand and has since embarked on a global “Solar Power” tour, with her latest stop being Monday at The Anthem in the nation’s capital. Lorde, born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor, made the recent admission onstage.
“I was thinking today — I was lying in the Potomac River,” Lorde began to much applause. “I love getting to swim in water where I play in. It makes me feel like I know you a bit better.”
BILLY EICHNER SLAMS CLARENCE THOMAS AND ‘HOMOPHOBES ON THE SUPREME COURT’ IN VMA APPEARANCE
lorde admitting to swimming in the potomac at the dc concert pic.twitter.com/Cf8g2QK4Pj
— anna (◍•ᴗ•◍) (@whyets) August 30, 2022
The river, at the heart of the capital, was once called “a national disgrace” by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 over its pollution, with some of the top pollutants being nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment, which has negatively affected its native fish, including bass, muskellunge, pike, walleye, shad, and white perch. Swimming in the river has been banned since the early 20th century.
Democratic delegate to the House of Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) requested in May that a feasibility study of the water be conducted since much of the drinking water for the area comes from the river. The study would also consider the effects of swimming in the body of water.
Locals reacted online to the news that Lorde risked swimming in a contaminated river, with one posting a meme of Family Guy characters losing their hair as a result of swimming in a dirty river, comparing them to the New Zealander.
lorde after swimming in the potomac river pic.twitter.com/SMF8m7DmCi
— wiLL (@willfulchaos) August 30, 2022
Lorde went on to say she “knew why you were laughing” while she talked about the swim.
“Oh, I think all is well,” Lorde said after the concert. “I’m happy to be a D.C. meme, you know.”
Lorde met fans as she left & talked about her on-stage revelation that’s shocked DC – that she went swimming in the Potomac River [?: @alittlehw] #SolarPowerTour #WashingtonDC
“Oh. I think all is well. But now I know why you were laughing. I’m happy to be a DC meme you know” pic.twitter.com/XHxbkVyPkv
— Lorde fix ? (@Lorde_fix) August 30, 2022
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Lorde’s tour will end in March 2023 and includes stops in Mexico, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
