But Lorde made headlines for plenty of other reasons this year, revealing the truth behind the album's gruelling recording process during an interview with Zane Lowe.
"I think I had that year. Everyone has that first year that feels like the first proper year of adulthood. I moved out of home and all of a sudden I was kind of figuring out; who am I when I'm alone, who am I when I'm doing things just for myself? And I feel like you can really hear that on this record," she said.
She also made headlines when it was revealed that Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock, who killed 59 people, may have planned to attack a festival Lorde was due to perform at.