Drop dead. That’s not a threat, don’t worry – that’s the title of Olivia Rodrigo’s newest single, the first from her new album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which will be released on June 12.
Beginning with a distinct 80s-style synth, “drop dead” is immediately reminiscent of music by other pop icons like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter. That synth sound is a theme across songs co-written and produced by Daniel Nigro, who has worked on Rodrigo’s album SOUR (2021), GUTS (2023), and her upcoming album. Nigro also worked on Roan’s Grammy-award-winning debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2024), where he gained popularity and won his second Grammy.
Following the intro, the first verse is quiet but confident, with that synth present in the background the whole way through. Next, the song picks up into the chorus – an upbeat melody that is guaranteed to get stuck in your head. “One night I was bored in bed / And stalked you on the internet / It’s feminine intuition / ‘Cause I always had a vision of us standing like this.” Rodrigo’s strong vocals come into play when she sings, “Pressed up in the bathroom line / You’re looking like an angel on the walls of Versailles,” in a high register that makes me embarrassed by my singing abilities and jealous of hers. The song is a refreshing new release from Rodrigo, who hasn’t put out a song since her last album in 2023.
The hit single followed a lengthy marketing campaign to promote her new album, starting in March when Rodrigo’s website switched from a purple to pink background, complete with a new logo that had many fans suspecting a new album. Soon enough, murals began popping up all over Los Angeles with a vibrant pink background and the curly writing displayed on Rodrigo’s website, spelling out “love.” Fans, or “Livies” as they’re called, suspected another four-letter title for her third album. However, they were shocked by the lengthy title, which is not easily abbreviated. On April 2, the music superstar finally announced the release of her third album, coming June 12. The post garnered seven million likes and has over 131,000 comments, as fans screamed in excitement from the three-year album drought.
On April 30, Rodrigo announced The Unraveled Tour, headed to 29 cities across the US, Canada, and Europe. Thankfully, she is coming to D.C., and not to brag, but I got tickets!
On May 2, she was the musical guest and host on the hit comedy sketch show, Saturday Night Live, where she sang “drop dead” and debuted a new song from the upcoming album, “begged,” an emotional ballad that left viewers reaching for the tissue box, hinting at a devastating Olivia Rodrigo summer.
Whether it’s upbeat and danceable, or slow and miserable, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is sure to be abbreviated with the iconic four-letter title: AOTY, short for Album of the Year. I am so excited to give a listen when it is released, and I am confident Rodrigo can give us yet another incredible album to scream in the car on hot DC summer days. •