How Lorde Really Felt About Her Brutal South Park Parody

After nearly 30 years on the air, "South Park" continues to skewer North American popular culture. Whether it's political figures, athletes, or Hollywood stars, no one is immune to a good ribbing from Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Much of the animated sitcom's most memorable episodes often target notable celebrities who were making waves at the time of an episode's release, including controversial figures like Mel Gibson and Kanye West, among others. You can read /Film's 10 best celebrity moments from the series here.

Musicians are often subject to parody on "South Park," with notable artists such as the Jonas Brothers in "The Ring" and Barbra Streisand in "Mecha-Streisand" among those who have had the honor (or for some people, dishonor) of being depicted in the signature cutout animation style in television's most ridiculous fictional town. One of the most memorable depictions of a musician was featured in the episode "The Cissy," in which one of the defining pop stars of the 2010s was given one of the series' funniest portrayals.

In the second episode of season 18 of "South Park" titled "Gluten Free Ebola," viewers are treated to the eccentric Randy Marsh impersonating Lorde at a party. As ridiculously hilarious as it is to see the middle-aged father to Stan and Shelley indulge in yet another one of his wild new phases, the next episode, "The Cissy" reveals the shocking truth that Randy was not just impersonating Lorde, but rather, he is Lorde.

Stan and Shelley are both fans of Lorde's music, with Shelley having a poster of the pop star on her wall, which catches Randy's eye, after she complains that her father does not understand her. Little did she know that her father was the true mastermind behind some of her favorite music. Randy would reveal to Stan that he is the true identity behind Lorde, which came about after he started using the women's bathroom at his job, citing his male co-worker's penchant for "blowing up the men's bathroom." 

Randy would call himself Lorde, and while finding refuge in the women's bathroom, he discovered that the acoustics within the stalls allowed him to record sounds, which he would implement in editing software to produce his own music, which he demonstrates to Stan in his original song, "Push (Feel Good on a Wednesday)," much to Stan's shock. Lorde's vocals were provided by singer/songwriter Sia.

While some celebrities have responded negatively to their depictions on "South Park," Lorde had quite a refreshing response to her depiction. The pop star got a good laugh out of it, even giving her own rendition of Randy's "I am Lorde, ya-ya-ya!" which is perhaps one of the strongest endorsements any celebrity has ever had to being skewered by Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Whether it is popular musicians, American politics, or religion, "South Park" is eager to poke fun at anything. While Lorde is one of the few artists who enjoyed being poked fun at, some have taken notable offense at some of the jokes made at their expense. One of the most notorious moments in the series' history involved the departure of Isaac Hayes as Chef, who allegedly took offense to the series' depiction of the Church of Scientology in the episode, "Trapped in the Closet," of which Hayes was a practicing member. Chef was eventually retired from the series, although his son claims that Hayes did not quit of his own accord.

The upcoming 27th season of "South Park" is currently set to premiere on Comedy Central on July 23, 2025. Trey Parker and Matt Stone shared their initial reaction to the delay and did not mince their words regarding their dismay over Paramount's decision. All 26 seasons of the series are available to stream on Max, with a few special event episodes available exclusively on Paramount+.