Olivia Rodrigo has a message for us, and it is a good one. If you see something going on that's wrong, even if it's a system issue, do something about it. The young star delivers a call to activism with her new track, "serena joy," a tune that didn't make the cut for her latest album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.
The song was part of a 500-strong special CD release, but that sold out quickly this past weekend. To allow everyone to hear the tune, Rodrigo dropped it on social media and streaming platforms on Monday. The question some might ask is whether the song wasn't strong enough for her June album release: is the track worth a listen now?
The answer, as with most things related to Rodrigo, is a resounding yes.
How good is Olivia Rodrigo's "serena joy"?
The track begins with a definite 1970s post-punk feel with higher-end production. Rodrigo understands how to craft a good tune, but she also understands the importance of having her music sound great, too.
Most platforms also have the lyrics showing on the audio-only track. This is important because the singer wants her message to be clear, and she makes that message clear from the beginning of the tune by singing, "Yeah, it's all for the cause/for the good of us all/and if you close your eyes/then it can't be your fault."
She later adds, "If they do it to them, they'll do it to you," which might have some recalling the Manic Street Preachers' "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next." The overall point is the same with both songs. Fight back, one way or another, even if that doesn't involve physical reaction.
The vocals are intentionally buried in the layer of the instrumentals, which gives the track even more of a 1980s quality. The influence of the Cure's Robert Smith is profound in how Olivia Rodrigo finishes lines of the song. The music is less Cure, though, and more New Order, but the mix works well.
Rodrigo is one of several young female music stars, and thank goodness for it, but the difference between Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, for instance, is that the former strains to be more rock-oriented, and she's earned her way. She is certainly more rock than pop, but she comprehends what sells to a mass audience.
The hope for the future is that Olivia Rodrigo will continue to make songs like "serena joy," both from a sonic and messaging standpoint, and that she leans even more heavily into rock. She's good at it.
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