Written by: Noa Climor
In the height of the pandemic, Olivia Rodrigo changed her life (and countless others) by releasing her now hit single, “Driver’s License.” Even in 2021, when the song was released, Rodrigo was already breaking records: “Driver’s License” pulled 568,700 streams, making it the biggest recorded debut in Rolling Stone 100 history.
2026 was no different: Rodrigo made history by being the first artist (you heard it right, artist!!) to debut the lead singles off her first three albums at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
These records might seem impressive, but I honestly think this is just the beginning: time and time again, Rodrigo has proven herself as one of the strongest artists of our generation, and each song she releases is another addition to one of the most impressive discographies one possesses.
With her new single titled “Drop Dead,” Rodrigo launched her new era for her third studio album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love set to release on June 12th of this year. The song, which was released in April, hints at the beginning of a relationship where the butterflies and feelings overrule everything else.
“Hey guys! It’s Olivia, and I’m so excited that my new song ‘drop dead’ from my upcoming album ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ is out now! this is a song I wrote after a perfect first date and every time I listen to it, it brings me back to that very special time and place,” said Rodrigo in one of her streaming parties on Stationhead, and honestly, the song does feel like the exact embodiment of what it feels like to see your entire future with someone.
The video was filmed in France; or to be more specific, in the Palace of Versailles, which is talked about in the song as well:
And I think that the juxtaposition between standing in a cramped bathroom and your lover being as beautiful as one of the angels painted in Versailles is just so perfect since it makes you envision every feeling as though you are experiencing it yourself.
Additionally, the visuals of her running through the palace and listening to music brings forward that rush you feel; when it truly feels like everything will work out the way you want it to, that this will truly be the one.
Rodrigo is skilled at this: if we go back to “Driver’s License” we enter the space of someone who is going through heartbreak for, maybe, the first time: they do say nothing hurts as much as losing your first love, and when listening to that song or to her first album, Sour, you can understand exactly why.
The unique thing about her music is that she isn’t telling you what you are supposed to feel but rather bringing you an outlet where you can comfortably process your emotions and see that other people went through those experiences and made it out.
One thing about being a teenager, or being in love (or in this case, both) is that most of the time you feel so alienated. You’re going through a difficult time already, and it’s only made harder when people don’t take you seriously or tell you that you’re just being dramatic.
Rodrigo is doing the opposite, and when jumping through the eras of her music, not only do the lyrics develop, but also the way in which she processes the feelings she sings about. Moving from an album like Sour into her newer music, she does not disregard anything she’s gone through but rather, brings it to light in a different way.
Her new song is no different; the main changes show her lyricism, visuals, and inspiration. In “Drop Dead,” Olivia is still talking about love, but now she’s 22, she has experienced different things throughout the years and can bring those changes with her while still retaining what made her music so special.
When speaking to my friend Krista, we were talking about how Rodrigo was actually the one who brought us together, which made me reflect on just how many incredible friends I have met through Rodrigo’s music.
With her upcoming tour starting in Hartford in September, it will be my first time seeing some of my closest friends since GUTS tour; I am honestly not sure what to expect with the new album, but I don’t see that as a bad thing; I think each song will mean something new to me, and I can’t wait to see everyone again and sing my heart out on opening night.
Featured Image Caption: The cover for Olivia Rodrigo’s third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, coming out on June 12th.
