Lorde had promised something special for today's performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
But no one expected this.
The Kiwi pop star had been scheduled to perform Homemade Dynamite, a popular song from her recent second album Melodrama, at today's live awards ceremony.
Instead, she emerged on stage in grey pants and a silver tutu and gave the song its own interpretive dance routine without singing a single word.
Her routine included foot stomps, collapsing on the ground, slow motion boxing moves, being carried in the air by back-up dancers dressed in black, and shoulder shrugs.
Towards the end of the song, she was carried through the air and thrown up and down.
Fans quickly took to Twitter to give her mixed reviews, with many wondering why MTV played four minutes of Lorde dancing but cut short a Chester Bennington tribute.
Many were also angry that she didn't sing.
Others were more positive about the routine, calling it typically Lorde-esque.
After the performance, Lorde took to Twitter to explain why she couldn't sing.
She was sick, stricken so badly with the flu she said: "I needed an IV".
Earlier, Lorde had told fans on Twitter her knees were "busted up" leading into today's VMAs performance.
She said she'd "been rehearsing for the VMAs and my knees are covered in bruises" but didn't mention the fact she was ill.
Today's MTV VMAs are being held in Inglewood and are hosted by Katy Perry.
The NZ International Comedy Festival is under way in Auckland and Wellington.
