New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde incorporates Jamaican dancehall into her new track “Current Affairs” by sampling Dexta Daps’ 2014 song “Morning Love.” Originally produced by Daseca, the sample brings a Caribbean influence to Lorde’s alt-pop style.
Louis Anthony Grandison (Dexta Daps), along with Craig and David Harrisingh, are credited as writers on the track, and a representative for Daseca confirmed the use of the sample with WMV. Lorde co-produced the song with Jim-E Stack. Additional songwriting credits go to Ella Yelich-O’Connor (Lorde) and Fabiana Palladino, reflecting a collaboration that blends international sounds and perspectives.
Both “Morning Love”(2014) and “Current Affairs”(2025) have surpassed 3 million streams on Spotify.
But while the sample pays homage to a staple of modern dancehall, “Current Affairs” is also drawing sharp criticism for a controversial lyric referencing the infamous 1996 sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
“All alone in my room / Watching the tape of their honeymoon / On the boat, it was pure and true / Then the film came out,” Lorde sings in a confessional tone that has stirred debate online and in the press.
Lorde, born Ella Yelich-O’Connor, revealed in a Rolling Stone interview that she watched the tape following a psychedelic MDMA therapy session. She described the video as “so beautiful,” likening the couple’s chemistry to childlike freedom and intimacy—yet also acknowledging the “danger” of such vulnerability in a fame-obsessed world.
Still, critics say the lyric crosses a line. One user on X (formerly Twitter) slammed the reference as “ignorant,” calling it inappropriate to romanticize a non-consensual moment that Anderson has said left her traumatized. Reddit users echoed the sentiment, with some saying the lyric nearly “ruins the entire album.”
Others defended Lorde’s lyrical intent, arguing that her verse attempts to grapple with the blurred lines between love, fame, and exploitation. One commenter noted, “The line does work even if it’s a very wrong thing to say—but that’s the price of unfiltered expression.”
The controversy adds to a growing list of provocative moments from Virgin, including sexually explicit vinyl artwork that features a revealing image of Lorde herself. The singer has been transparent about her intent to confront discomfort. “There’s going to be a lot of people who don’t think I’m a good girl anymore,” she told Rolling Stone. “It’s over… and for some people, I will have arrived.”
Lorde recently made history as her breakout hit “Royals” is now certified 15× Platinum by the RIAA, tying Katy Perry’s “Roar” as the highest-certified non-holiday song by a lead female artist in U.S. history. The achievement coincides with a major streaming surge driven by her new album Virgin, which earned 16 million Spotify streams on its first full day. Standout tracks “Shapeshifter” and “Hammer” debuted at #30 and #72 on the global Spotify chart, respectively. Additionally, several older songs received new RIAA certifications, including Pure Heroine (6× Platinum) and “Team” (6× Platinum).
