Lorde Calls Out AI Glasses as ‘Not Sexy’ at Mad Cool Festival
Pop star Lorde didn’t mince words when she took the stage at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid last week. In a fiery rebuke that has since gone viral, she condemned the proliferation of AI glasses, calling them ‘not sexy’ and urging fans to reject the devices.
A Public Rebuke at a Festival Sponsored by Ray-Ban
The moment was particularly pointed because Ray-Ban, a sponsor of the festival, partners with Meta to produce smart glasses. Lorde performed just before singer Jennie, who serves as an ambassador for the Ray-Ban x Meta smart glasses line.
Lorde’s Full Quote
Addressing the audience, Lorde said: ‘Increasingly in our world, it gets harder and harder to know what is real. You don’t know if someone is wearing sunglasses, or if they’re wearing those fucked up fucking [AI glasses]. Can I just say, for the record, fuck the glasses. Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy.’
This is not the first time Lorde has spoken about digital cultural decline; she has previously written about the topic in her music and commentary.
Privacy Concerns and Legal Troubles
Security experts have long characterized smart glasses as a privacy minefield. The devices, equipped with cameras and AI capabilities, have been used as tools for doxxing and swatting.
Meta’s Safeguards and Backlash
Meta, the leading maker of smart glasses, says it takes privacy seriously and has built in safeguards such as a visible recording light. However, the company faces numerous lawsuits and investigations alleging privacy violations. One lawsuit claims that Kenyan contract workers were made to watch nonconsensual pornography obtained with the glasses to help train Meta’s AI. Meta has not publicly detailed its response to that specific claim.
Sales Success Despite Controversy
None of this has stopped the product from selling. EssilorLuxottica, the Ray-Ban maker, reported that it sold more than 7 million Meta AI glasses in 2025 — more than triple the roughly 2 million units it sold in 2023 and 2024 combined. Buoyed by this success, Meta continues to add more AI features to the glasses.
Lorde’s Final Verdict: ‘Not Sexy’
If privacy concerns aren’t enough to dissuade consumers, Lorde offered another reason: vanity. ‘The here and now,’ she declared, ‘is sexy.’