Take a glance at the title of Olivia Rodrigo's new single “Drop Dead” and you might jump to some quick conclusions. This, you think, will be another angsty, pop-punk-coded banger – about heartbreak, stalking exes or the endlessly mortifying experience of having emotions that span anger, jealousy and infatuation. Maybe she'll scream into the mic again, like the cathartic howl on “all-american bitch”. Even better, she might give us another cold one-liner like “Bleedin' me dry like a goddamn vampire”. Get ready to rage, girlies! Rodrigo's back in the driver's seat.
Psych. There's not an ounce of melancholy in “Drop Dead”, not even a whisper of resentment. Rodrigo's new single is a proper, shout-it-from-the-rooftops, 2geva-4eva love song, so unashamedly wrapped up in the gooey bubble of young love that you almost feel her butterflies through the speaker. The first single from her upcoming album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love (12th June), Rodrigo throws caution to the wind and wears her heart on her sleeve. “You lookin' like an angel on the walls of Versailles,” she sings over the chorus. “The most alive I've ever been / But kiss me and I might drop dead”. Not quite how we imagined the track's titular phrase might be woven into the lyrics. And you know what? Thank God. Isn't it about time we reminded ourselves of the glory of romance?
Over the past few years, a dating fatigue has swept over the nation. Not totally unwarranted, of course. As dating apps produce dwindling results, ghosting becomes the norm and situationships produce more headaches than heart flutters, being single and proud is the new way to navigate a landscape that offers little more than bad chat and dodgy dates. As Chanté Joseph explained in her new Glamour column, “With 45% of women aged 25 to 44 projected to be single and childless by 2030, we have an opportunity to create a new reality for ourselves; one that isn’t so beholden to being loved by someone.” In fact, even if you are in a relationship, it's equally important to hold onto your identity outside of coupledom – you know, nurture friendships, find new hobbies, go skydiving if that's your kind of thing. Finding love isn't the be all and end all.
But it sure does feel good – and Rodrigo can attest to that. For two years, the pop star was smitten with her boyfriend, British actor Louis Partridge, before the pair reportedly split late last year. Now, even in the aftermath of a breakup, she's still championing the thrill of falling head over heels. Rodrigo's not naive to the potential dangers of opening your heart to someone. In a recent interview with Vogue, she explained how love can be “scary and terrifying and uncomfortable, sometimes, but beautiful at times.” And the pitfalls are never enough to make her write off romance forever. On “Drop Dead”, she's giddy on the high of meeting a perfect match, obsessing over the compatibility of their star signs and fantasising about them making out. Listening to it makes you feel like a teenager doodling hearts around the name of your first crush. It makes you want to join her.
Perhaps that's what all our love lives really need: some teenage kicks, whether you're navigating single life or figuring out how to bring excitement back into a longterm relationship. As we grow older and wiser, it's natural to put our guards up. But maybe it's time to try free-falling instead. Let go, be vulnerable, treat every crush like it's your first. Get swept up in obsession and relinquish yourself to passion. Even if it scares you. Even if it makes you want to drop dead.
‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ by Olivia Rodrigo is due for release on 12th June.
