Chart star Lorde has announced she is releasing her first single in two years.

The Royals singer posted a message on Twitter saying that Green Light would be out this week.

Her post followed a string of cryptic messages on social media, which had triggered speculation about new music.

Lorde, 20, wrote: “I am so overjoyed to finally announce that my first single, GREEN LIGHT, is coming out.”

She continued: “I am so proud of this song. It’s very different and kind of unexpected. It’s complex and funny and sad and joyous and it’ll make you DANCE.

I am so proud of this song. It’s very different, and kind of unexpected

“It’s the first chapter of a story I’m gonna tell you, the story of the last two wild, fluorescent years of my life. This is where we begin.”

Earlier this week Lorde posted a message on Twitter that said: “U hungry?”

The singer-songwriter from New Zealand, who has not released a studio album since her 2013 debut Pure Heroine, followed it up with a link to a web page called imwaitingforit.com.

Clicking on the link took fans to a video of the star in the back of a car, as the words “3.2.17 NYC” and “3.3.17 NZ” appeared.

Lorde also said she would be unveiling the video for Green Light.