Singing sensation Lorde is facing a barrage of attacks on social media, after alleged comments about Justin Bieber and One Direction.

Lorde, aka 17-year-old Ella Yelich-O'Connor, has posted numerous pictures on Instagram of herself and boyfriend, 24-year-old photographer James Lowe.

But now a social media storm has erupted after Lorde was claimed to have called fellow singer Bieber and members of boy band One Direction "ugly" - although as website Jezebel reports, there is no evidence of this.

Fans of the pop stars have taken to Twitter in a cyber attack on the Royals singer.

Many of the tweets simply call Lorde and Lowe "ugly", but others make explicitly racist remarks about Lowe's Asian descent.

Several of the tweets linked to a recent tabloid picture of the pair on a beach at Devonport on Auckland's North Shore, which was splashed around gossip websites.

American rapper Tyler, the Creator linked to the picture on Twitter with the unpleasant caption: "Hhahahahahah."

Lorde retorted: "Was this supposed to make me feel something?"

She has not responded to any of the latest attacks.