Olivia Rodrigo and the “ driver’s license ” explained

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Topical songs for a dying the democracy, who needs it! Talk to anyone who is following closely popular music trends and they’ll tell you that Disney Channel kid Olivia Rodrigo is set to make her No.1 debut in 2021 with a melodramatic pop ballad about first breaking sting and learning to drive, released on January 7th, entitled “Driver’s license.” “(All lowercase, as is the trend of this period.) Donate the DMV royalties!

According to Billboard, within the first three days, the “driver’s license” was made available, the song sold 16,000 copies and was played 21 million times in the United States., the music video has been viewed over 19.6 million times. Pop Crave reports “Driver’s License” has the “biggest one-day stream for a song by a female artist in US Spotify history with over 5.688 MILLION.” Rodrigo’s profile is clearly and rapidly increasing.

The song is gloriously anguished pop with a theatrical arrangement usually reserved for stars further in their careers – but there are no more rules, why not come straight out the door with a larger-than-life production, a great Taylor Swift-influenced bridge and a devastating crescendo? The first breakup can be overwhelming; driving past an ex’s house or seeing them in the hallway of school can be scary – shouldn’t a song about it do the same? Or, at the very least, offer a cathartic release? “Driver’s license” does both.

I like Description of Justin Curto sound keys from the song to Vulture: “‘driver’s license‘ [is] like a Frankenstein version of the last decade in pop. Rodrigo quiet moments remind Billie Eilish and she anthemics remind Lorde, with Alessia Cara songs Between. She is also, of course, struggling with teenage and suburban angst that Eilish, Lorde and Cara have each individually made their own business cards … there is something for almost every type of listener from pop to grab. Of course it is derivative – name any contemporary, denominational singer-songwriter and there will surely be some leftovers here – but it’s also a banger – a very difficult thing for a powerful piano ballad to become.

But, like, who is Olivia Rodrigo? I’m so glad you asked the question.

WHO?

Olivia Rodrigo is a fashionable 17-year-old California who started her career like many teenage talents appearing on Spotify playlists and the seemingly out of nowhere TikToks.: on Disney Channel. From 2016 to 2019, she played the role of Paige Olvera, “a guitarist who makes viral videos with her best friend, alongside her co-stars Madison Hu. and [YouTuber] Jake paul, ” according to Billboard, on the Disney TV show Bizaardvark. She also landed the lead role of Nini Salazar-Roberts in the reboot, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, the Gabriella Montez / Vanessa Hudgens character of the original. Season two is currently in production, so it doesn’t look like Rodrigo will stop acting anytime soon.

Plus, apparently, there is some real drama between Rodrigo and other Disney starlets, which fans believe is the source of the song “Driver’s License”.

WHAT?

Because Rodrigo’s success is clearly about a breakup, listeners have speculated that it’s 20-year-old actor Joshua Basset, her ex-boyfriend and co-star in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. According to Charm, they broke up last year and Basset was soon “Point” with 21-year-old actor Sabrina Carpenter, another Disney alumnus. Considering some ‘driver’s license’ sayings: “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m not sure / Yeah, today hui, I walked through the suburbs / Because how could I ever love someone else? reading the fan checks – and adds a juicy gossip dimension to single.

WHAT, ONCE AGAIN, FOR MY OLD ASS? IT’S TOO STRONG HERE!

It’s just one song – a first hit single – that made Rodrigo stand out for those unfamiliar with the original Disney Channel programming, and it’s power and influence for me, baby!

“When I proposed the ‘Driver’s License’, I was going through a heartbreak that confused me so, so multifaceted,” she said in a press release about the song. “Putting all of those feelings into one song made it all seem so much simpler and clearer – and in the end, I think that’s really the point of songwriting. There is nothing quite like sitting at the piano in my room and writing a really sad song. It really is my favorite thing in the world. It certainly worked on the ‘driver’s license’, but is it enough equation to support a full career?

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO?

I am curious about the origins of all the successes, and I am curious to see if the “driver’s license” is a unique wonder. With the Disney machine behind it, I doubt it is. And it’s funny to see a song released one week become an instant hit the next, chase me.

Plus, apparently Taylor Swift is a fan, which is a big deal for Rodrigo herself as a self-proclaimed Swiftie. “Next to taylor on the American i tunes chart I’m in a puddle of tears,” she written on Instagram January 9, as the “driver’s license” reaches number three just below Swift is asleep Always tracks “It’s time to go (bonus track)” and “where you left me (bonus track).” Swift commented, “I say it’s my baby and I’m really proud.”

Now, of course, Rodrigo’s “driver’s license” is # 1 on iTunes and Spotify’s U.S. Daily Chart.

Uh, BUT WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW THIS PERSON?

It’s between you and God, but get ready to hear “driver’s license” everywhere soon enough if you don’t already hear it everywhere. Plus, Rodrigo’s debut EP is due out later this year, so hop on board or step aside.