We’ve all heard a breakup song or two in our lifetimes. It’s a fine art form, and one that many may take years to master. What we haven’t seen (or heard) though, is anyone doing it like Olivia Rodrigo.
Olivia Rodrigo kicked off 2021 by releasing “drivers license,” her very first original single. (You’ve heard it, haven’t you?) The song made a dazzling debut at the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed put for eight consecutive weeks. It has been RIAA Certified 2x Platinum, and is the first song of the year to reach such status. “drivers license” broke the Spotify record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song, and had the biggest weekly streaming debut for any song in the history of Spotify.
To put things into perspective even further, “drivers license” received over 107 million streams worldwide within its very first week. Just in the US, the song received over 62 million streams, making it the largest audio streaming in three years. It was also the second largest US audio streaming pattern EVER.
Of course, you didn’t need me to mention all of this to know “drivers license” was a huge hit. It was more than refreshing to start out a new year with a new relatable song by a fresh face. Music is a universal language, and with just one song, Olivia managed to build a strong connection with millions of people worldwide.
Well, it’s a good thing Olivia already got her drivers license. She’s been driving at full speed with zero plans of slowing down, and we’re all in the passenger seat! Today, Olivia released her new single “deja vu,” and she’s taking listeners on a ride into a slightly different sonic territory. The dreamy alt-pop offering snatches up the emotions of someone reflecting upon a past relationship, and all they’ve done for their ex-lover.
Whether you’ve been in a romantic relationship or not, it’s a theme we can all connect with in a way. Have you ever had a best friend you were SUPER close with, but ended up falling out on bad terms? If so, sometimes you can’t help but wonder if they still think of you every now and then. When they’re with that new BFF or partner heading to a certain restaurant, does it ever cross their mind that you loved visiting that restaurant with them too? When they’re playing Among Us, do they remember how you’d spend hours playing that game too? How about listening to Billy Joel… especially if you were the one to introduce them to his music?
When such thoughts arise, we might naturally end up feeling helpless. However, songs like “deja vu” can definitely help bring a sense of power back to us.
“deja vu” was produced by Dan Nigro, who also helped produce “drivers license.” Olivia spilled, “The concept of deja vu has always fascinated me and I thought it would be cool to use it in a song around the complex feelings after a relationship ends. I started writing and recording ‘deja vu’ last fall and had so much fun creating the different melodies and sonic textures that you hear throughout.”
We all saw Olivia Rodrigo take over the world in January, and we’ll see her do it again in April. We’ll also see it again on May 21, when Olivia releases her debut album *O*R via Geffen Records. Pre-save it here!
Now… how’s that for a deja vu?! Listen to “deja vu” and check out the music video below.