Lorde Tells Ray-Ban Festival Crowd: 'Fuck the Glasses'
SkimNews Take
Ray-Ban's festival sponsorship backfired by booking an artist whose brand rejects the product alongside its own paid ambassador on the same bill, exposing how sponsor rosters and artist authenticity can collide in public.
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- Lorde told the crowd at Madrid's Real Cool Festival on Thursday that AI glasses are "not sexy," telling fans directly: "Fuck the glasses. Don't get the glasses."
- Although Lorde named no brand, Ray-Ban was a festival sponsor and has collaborated with Meta on the AI smartglasses that appeared to be the target of her remarks.
- Lorde framed her comments around a growing difficulty telling what is real, saying: "You don't know if someone is wearing sunglasses or if they're wearing those fucked up fucking…"
- Meta faces renewed scrutiny over its smart glasses and is reportedly still planning to launch a pair of "super sensing" glasses capable of continuously recording, "even in the face of that backlash."
- Jennie of Blackpink — a Ray-Ban Meta AI ambassador featured in Instagram advertising campaigns — performed after Lorde and was promoted in a video screened between sets at the same festival.
Why it matters: Having a Ray-Ban Meta ambassador share the same festival stage as an artist publicly telling the crowd "fuck the glasses" turns Meta's celebrity influencer strategy into an awkward split screen. Meta is still reportedly moving forward with continuously-recording "super sensing" glasses despite the backlash, betting its wearable AI rollout can outrun growing cultural skepticism.
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