Lorde has finally met George Brett, the inspiration for her hit song “Royals.”

A story that started with the click of a shutter before a baseball game in 1976 came full circle in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, when Lorde met Brett, the baseball Hall of Famer whose photo in an old magazine helped launch her singing career.

In case you don't know the story: A teenage girl in New Zealand, aspiring to a music career, comes across Ted Spiegel's photo of George Brett in a 1976 issue of National Geographic. The photo of a young, smiling Brett in his home Royals jersey, surrounded by autograph seekers holding brand-new baseballs, inspires the girl's song about missing out on the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The song becomes a worldwide hit, wins multiple Grammy awards, and turns the 17-year-old girl from Auckland into a star.

When a hoped-for meeting in March didn't materialize, the Royals sent Lorde an autographed Brett jersey. This time, she got to meet her inspiration in person -- and tied a bow on a story that took 38 years and two continents to complete.