Lorde made a splash in more ways than one during her appearance in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Aug. 29.
While the “Solar Power” singer was performing at The Anthem at D.C.’s The Wharf, Lorde told the crowd, “I was thinking today, I was lying in the Potomac River,” adding. “I love getting to swim in water where I’m playing. It makes me feel like I know you.”
Some in attendance booed the artist’s admission, while others were quick to take to social media to relay their thoughts. People can be seen kayaking, rowing, boating, and paddle boarding on the Potomac River almost year-round. While people do swim in the river, such as the WaveOne Open Water Swimming, its more common is some areas of the river than others, which can become shallow and quite murky.
(Funny concertgoer reactions aside, in March 2022 D.C. network WUSA9 spoke with the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and the D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment, both of whom confirmed that the Potomac is safe to swim in!)
Below, Secret D.C. gathered some of the most hilarious reactions to Lorde’s swimming comment: