Olivia Rodrigo Is Falling, Hard

You see that the new Olivia Rodrigo song is called “Drop Dead” and you think, Oh no, she OK? “Drop Dead” is actually a bit of misdirection. The new song is about what it’s like to fall for someone in those damp, fresh moments of first blush. Heartbreak has been central to the Olivia Rodrigo proposition through her first two albums. The new album is coming out this summer. It’s called “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” Reminds me of my 20s. So the beginning of the song is all, like, warm, oozy feeling. But then about halfway through, it pivots into something much more feverish. In the video, that’s when the girls with guitars come in and you get that extremely familiar and reassuring Olivia Rodrigo pop punk frisson. Speaking of that video, it’s filmed at the Palace of Versailles. It’s directed by Petra Collins, longtime collaborator with Olivia. She literally brings her laptop to the palace. She brings her bed to the palace. She’s running in socks through the hallways, beautiful art on every side, holding tight to that special relationship to girlhood that’s made her so unique among pop stars. But let’s not lose sight of one thing. This is the first single from the album. It’s also the first song. My suspicion is that there’s danger hiding right around the corner, and she’s racing towards it. Dog, I’m going to throw up.