PRINT: Olivia Rodrigo’s New Single is to Die For

Drop Dead is a huge win for Olivia Rodrigo’s upcoming album.

Sadie Scheu, Opinion Editor

May 15, 2026

The cover image of Rodrigo’s newest single.

After Olivia Rodrigo dropped her newest single on April 17, it immediately rose to No. 1 on the charts and has stayed there since. The song, “Drop Dead,” is the first to be released from her album, which will debut in full on June 12. Although Rodrigo has revealed in interviews that “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love” will be very different from both of her previous albums, I believe that if “Drop Dead” is any indication, it certainly won’t be any less popular.

Rodrigo’s single recounts the night of her first date with her boyfriend, Louis Partridge. After name dropping “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure, she takes her audience through their whole evening, from sitting at a bar to walking home together. Her lyrics are genuine, almost euphoric and relatable to a younger audience, owing to the fact that she herself is only 23 years old.

“Drop Dead” itself is very different from any of her past music; it is neither the quiet bedroom pop of “SOUR” nor the newer rock sound of “GUTS.” The song reminds me a lot of artists that have been very popular lately, especially Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift and Chappell Roan. In a recent interview, she mentioned that she also took a lot of inspiration from Lana Del Ray when writing “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love,” but there isn’t very much of Del Ray’s influence to be heard in this single.

Another important thing to mention about this new song is the music video, which has had major success with her fan base. In the video, Rodrigo runs and dances – in her pajamas – through the Palace of Versailles, which is mentioned in the chorus. The vintage, almost unprofessional feel of the photography, the playful props and the fun costuming all pair surprisingly well with the extravagant backdrop. If I’m being honest, this music video is probably my favorite part of the “Drop Dead” release.

Although it did take me a week or two to get used to this very different sound, I can say with certainty that this single bodes very well for the upcoming album. While I do love the pop-rock of her last album, and hope that there’s at least a little of that when “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl so in Love” finally drops, I know that it will likely top charts and captivate audiences regardless. So, if you haven’t listened to “Drop Dead” yet – or seen the music video – I’d highly recommend giving it a chance.

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About the Contributor

Sadie Scheu, Opinion Editor

Sadie Scheu is a senior at Robinson and serves as the opinion editor for the Knight Writers. This is her third year on staff, and with the experience comes new expectations of what to bring to the current year. “I obviously want to help the newer staff writers, learn how to write stories and participate in staff. We also didn’t get many print editions out, so I definitely want to make sure we get at least four out this year,” Scheu said. Aside from newspaper, she also includes herself in sports at the school, specifically soccer. Being her 4th year, she’s already experienced and well prepared for what’s to come. “What I like about soccer is half the game, and half the team. It’s really nice being able to hangout with my teammates after school, you get really close spending time together,” Scheu said. After high school, Scheu plans to attend college, though she is also considering a gap year to travel and explore new experiences. She hopes to study the humanities, with particular interests in history, english and psychology. “I don’t really know what I want to do in terms of a career yet, but I want to go to college out of state preferably a northern liberal arts school,” Scheu said. As the opinion editor, Scheu is vital to the Knight Writers bringing hard work and determination to newspaper. (Profile by Dahvnn Inthavilaysuk)