Pop star Lorde used her festival set to take aim at Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses, telling the crowd the smart eyewear is "not sexy" and urging fans not to buy it. Performing at the Real Cool Festival in Madrid on Thursday, she spoke out against AI glasses mid-show, a pointed moment given that Ray-Ban, which co-developed its AI smartglasses with Meta, was a festival sponsor.
What Lorde said about Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses
After thanking the crowd for sharing in "something real," Lorde told the audience it was becoming harder to know what is and isn't genuine. She didn't name a specific brand, but her message was blunt: "F*** the glasses. Don't get the glasses. Not sexy." The remarks were captured in fan videos that quickly spread across social media.
The product at the center of the moment is easy to picture: Ray-Ban Meta glasses look like ordinary sunglasses but pack built-in cameras and an AI assistant, letting wearers capture photos and video or ask questions hands-free. That blend of everyday styling and always-available recording is exactly what critics find unsettling, and it is the tension Lorde tapped into on stage.
The timing stood out. As a sponsor of the event, Ray-Ban's Meta collaboration was front and center, making Lorde's on-stage swipe at camera-equipped eyewear impossible to miss. Her framing leaned on authenticity, too: by thanking fans for taking part in "something real" before turning on the glasses, she drew a line between a shared live moment and a world increasingly mediated by cameras and AI.
Why Meta's smart glasses are under scrutiny
Lorde's comments land as Meta faces renewed criticism over the privacy implications of its smart glasses. Devices that can quietly capture photos and video in public have long worried privacy advocates, and much of the concern centers on how easily bystanders can tell when a pair of glasses is actually recording. That unease is only growing as the hardware becomes more capable.
Meta is reportedly still moving ahead with more advanced eyewear, including "super sensing" glasses said to record continuously. That direction sharpens the debate over consent and surveillance whenever wearable cameras are involved, a recurring theme across our AI news coverage.
A famous ambassador took the same stage
In a notable twist, Lorde was reportedly followed on stage by Blackpink's Jennie, who serves as a Ray-Ban Meta AI ambassador and has appeared in the brand's advertising, including clips shown between sets at the festival. The back-to-back appearances underlined how divided the culture around AI wearables has become, celebrated in glossy campaigns yet openly criticized on the same stage.
Why it matters
When a mainstream artist tells a crowd to skip a product, it can shape public perception faster than any review. Lorde's remarks tap into a broader anxiety about always-on cameras and authenticity in a world saturated with AI. Whether that sentiment dents sales is unclear, but it adds a cultural counterweight to the marketing push. For more on the devices and debates shaping the industry, see our latest tech news.
Frequently asked questions
What did Lorde say about Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses?
During her Madrid festival set she criticized AI glasses as "not sexy" and told fans not to buy them, in an apparent swipe at festival sponsor Ray-Ban's Meta collaboration.
Why are Meta's smart glasses controversial?
Critics worry about privacy, since the camera-equipped eyewear can record people in public, concerns amplified by reports of "super sensing" glasses designed to record continuously.
