Olivia Rodrigo
“deja vu”
WIMITLA. SONG REVIEW
by Alix Sholomon and Elie Weitzman
Olivia Rodrigo has never shied away from writing songs inspired by her personal life. Exploding into stardom around January, her former relationships have been pushed into the public eye — no easy feat for a 17-year-old. This is mostly due to the popularity of her songs regarding said relationships, which have made public the rollercoaster of emotions that she has been on since her breakup with High School Musical: the Musical the Series castmate Joshua Bassett. Everyone on the planet was privy to the details of their relationship and her heartbreak after the release of “Drivers License,” which took her from household name to international superstar. Naturally, this built a great deal of hype around her subsequent single, which came out yesterday: “Deja Vu.”
We rely on these niche and emotional songs that express the experience of a specific narrative (in this case, a breakup) for comfort in trying times. Rodrigo is a master at transforming feelings into music, a talent that her idol Taylor Swift has perfected. Each song tells a very different story, and while every lyric may not be relatable to every listener, it isn’t hard to identify with the broader message of the song. Many of us have a hard time expressing our feelings about these hardships, which is why we turn to music like Rodrigo’s to do it for us. “Deja Vu” is a perfect example of this phenomenon. The punching instrumental is accompanied by her angelic vocals, as the track demonstrates her impressive range with every verse. It is clear that she put so much thought into every lyric — something that audiences these days appreciate in a musician. Rodrigo is building her sound right now, and while “Deja Vu” is very different from its predecessor in “Drivers License,” it carries with it a very similar undertone.
The reason Rodrigo feels so relatable is that she feels like she is “ours.” She isn’t some ridiculously famous mega-star singing about her money and fame. She’s a 17-year-old girl who writes songs in her bedroom about a boy breaking up with her for someone else, a feeling all too familiar for us teenagers. She provides this generation comfort, and a voice to express their grievances through. This is one single in what promises to be a career filled with success, which we hope to catch a glimpse of on May 21st when she releases her first studio album. For now, though, we’ll enjoy what we have. 9/10