Singer Lorde’s grief over the death of her dog Pearl is more than relatable

The singer had reportedly been working on new material for most of this year, but has asked fans for patience and support as she grieves the sudden loss of her beloved pet and family member.   

Unless you’ve known the incomparable love and devotion given by your dog or similar furry friend, their death is almost unexplainable. Even if you know their time is coming to an end, when it happens, the shock and pain are as valid as the loss of any other human family member. You are unprepared for the grief that hits, for the hole that is left behind. Your pet has seen you at your best and at your worst; you’ve never had to question their intentions or loyalty – they are there as your friend, to love and be loved by you asking for little in return but the same devotion.

Animals, and in particular our pets, touch a chord in us. They want the simple things in life: hugs, food, back and belly rubs and a warm place to sleep. How many times have we seen humans risk life and limb to rescue or save the life of a creature who may not be their own, but who they are compelled to help back to safety?

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When someone we love dies, our world turns upside down. We take time off work, time to adjust, time to find a new normal, one that is forever different without that person. And yet, when we lose a pet, for some, that same pattern is expected to be skipped over. We never hear of lives stopping – even momentarily – as we morn the loss of a dog we’d go through thick and thin for.

We will be breaking character for a minute. Lorde’s dog, Pearl, has sadly passed away. This isn’t a time for joking around or saying “Where’s the album”, it’s time to support the one person who has helped us throughout our lives with only 2 albums. #WeLoveYouLorde pic.twitter.com/x1fiMIXhwR

— LordeCrave #WeLoveYouLorde (@Iordecrave) November 2, 2019

Perhaps that’s why singer Lorde’s announcement on social media, that she would need time off, that she wouldn’t be continuing with the recording of her new album until her heart had mended following the loss of her pet, has struck a chord with so many.

Related: Losing a pet is a painful experience – it’s ok to cry

“This loss has been indescribably painful”

Lorde, in a new newsletter, explained that Pearl, who she adopted in 2018, passed away last month after battling illnesses. “Pearl had two cardiac arrests about an hour apart, and after the second one, he died,” she wrote. “I was holding him when he went, and I know he knew that I was there. But this loss has been indescribably painful, and a light that was turned on for me has gone out.”

Lorde talks about delaying her next album due to the loss of her dog and friend, Pearl pic.twitter.com/GSa17UUs5g

— Lorde Daily (@LordeDaily) November 2, 2019

According to the singer-songwriter, Pearl’s death has changed the timetable on her follow-up to 2017’s Melodrama. “He was instrumental to the discovery that was taking place. I felt he led me towards the ideas. And it’s going to take some time and re-calibration, now that there’s no shepherd ahead of me, to see what the work is going to be.”

“So I’m asking for your patience, as 2020 comes around and you start to wonder where the next record is. I have lost my boy, and I need some time to see the good again, to finish making this for you. It won’t be the same work— as anyone who has felt loss can understand, there’s a door that opens that you step through, and everything is different on the other side. But when this great loss crystallizes inside me, and my chest rebuilds around it, hopefully I’ll be able to finish up, and share it with you, and we’ll all grow together, as we always do.”

Her vulnerability and openness have struck a chord with so many fans who are praising the singer for sharing.

RIP Pearl.

Main photograph: @LordeDaily

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