Music news: Olivia Rodrigo releases first single “Drop Dead” ahead of third album debut
Singer Olivia Rodrigo announced through Instagram that her new single ‘Drop Dead’ is out now – she posted a picture of her blowing a bubble of gum, with the song name embroidered on her shirt.
This follows her announcement on April 2 of a new album release, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love”, scheduled for June 12.
Music News Blitz writer Bella Ford reports.
You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
Dan Nigro was involved in this album as well as her last two hit records, “Sour” and “Guts” – hit songs that contributed to the creation of a global fanbase with 54,8 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Rodrigo says that the album is full of “sad love songs” and she "realised all my favourite romantic love songs were beautiful because they had a tinge of fear or yearning in them”.
Drop Dead origin
The new single “Drop Dead” focuses on an online crush and references The Cure's “Just Like Heaven”, which she performed with Robert Smith at Glastonbury last summer.
Fans believe that the song could be about the actor Louis Partridge who Rodrigo was in a relationship with between 2023 and 2025.
In the bridge Olivia references how the crush is a Pisces and she's a Gemini and how they go “really nice together”, potentially hinting at Louis as he is a gemini. Another lyric she sings is “if you let me stay the night, well, I think I might have to stay forever”.
She also teased that she wrote this song after a perfect first date and it takes her back to that special place every time she listens to it.
Olivia's music has always been about how you connect with it personally and how relatable it is to the fans.
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Music video
In the official music video, directed by Petra Collins. Olivia Rodrigo had the palace of Versailles to herself and twirled around the museum, with a pink guitar and pair of pink headphones while singing “you lookin’ like an angel on the walls of Versailles”.
The other music video for this song is recorded like it was on a digital film camera, featuring her going to France on the Eurostar, based on the lyric “taken that Eurostar to France”.
Surprise performances
She debuted the song live at Coachella, surprising fans during Addison Rae's set, last week.
Following this she surprised fans with a ‘Drop Dead’ performance in NYC on April 26 by popping up at an open mic night to perform the new single.
It took place at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg, a very small venue known for debuting emerging artists, not superstars like Olivia.
She stripped the song down and sang with a more emotional core, showing off her pure talent.
