The first two singles from Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album SOUR (“driver’s license” and “deja vu”) were relatively tame break-up songs. The first was an intimate ballad performed by a forlorn Rodrigo. The latter was a touch more intense, but still familiar territory of a young pop singer in the throes of heartbreak.
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The third single from the record, “good 4 u,” upped the ante tenfold. With this track, Rodrigo proved she was capable of delivering a seething anthem worthy of comparisons to Alanis Morissette or Paramore. Suddenly, SOUR was expected to showcase a different side of Rodrigo—one that set her apart from her peers in today’s pop scene.
What inspired Rodrigo and collaborator Dan Nigro to write such a track? Find out, below.
[RELATED: Olivia Rodrigo Sinks Her Teeth Into Seething New Single “Vampire”]
Behind the Meaning
Well, good for you, I guess you moved on really easily
You found a new girl, and it only took a couple weeks
Remember when you said that you wanted to give me the world?
The release of SOUR was accompanied by a widespread discussion about Rodrigo’s relationship with High School Musical: The Musical: The Series castmate Joshua Bassett. Because Rodrigo was linked to Bassett around the time of the album, many fans have attributed most of the songs on the record to him. Rodrigo hasn’t confirmed this theory.
Though we don’t know exactly who Rodrigo is singing about in the track, we can discern a narrative from the lyrics.
In the lyrics, Rodrigo compares her ex’s demeanor when he was with her to the far happier one he has displayed while with his new girl. Rodrigo rattles off a number of sarcastic remarks to help drive her point home: I guess that you’ve been workin’ on yourself / I guess that therapist I found for you, she really helped.
While her ex is peacefully moving on with his life, Rodrigo is stuck in the same place, mourning their breakup. To Rodrigo, the difference between their reactions seems unbelievable. You’re so unaffected, I really don’t get it / But I guess good for you, she sings at the end of the chorus.
Pop Punk Sound
To go along with her new hard-edged lyricism, Rodrigo brought a punky element to the track.
“We wanted to take an early 2000s pop-punk song and sort of twist it and find a way to make it 2021…I hope people are surprised,” Rodrigo said at the time of the song’s release. “I love pop-punk music; I love grunge music; I love country music and folk music. I think, honestly, you can see little influences of all of those genres in my album.
“I didn’t want to make an entire record that sounded like ‘drivers license,'” she continued. “There’s no fun in that for me – and probably not for listeners, either.”
In the accompanying music video for the track, Rodrigo plays a vindictive cheerleader seeking fiery revenge on her ex. By the end of the video, Rodrigo is belting out the lyrics in a bedroom engulfed in flames, turning her crazy dial all the way up to 11.
Check it out, below.
Photo by Kevin Kane/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
