“If Good 4 U came out when I was in high school, I would have gone full scorched earth.”
These are the words that have echoed in my mind ever since I first heard the song. What does that mean exactly? Essentially, listening to the song on repeat and making sure my friends and I know all of the words. That’s pretty much it.
I originally came across Olivia Rodrigo’s latest single on TikTok (as is the norm these days apparently), where music director Petra Collins shared behind-the-scene moments from filming. Without even realizing it was Rodrigo, I thought to myself, “I could fuck with this song.” I completely underestimated just how much that actually would be.
It has been exactly one week, 168 hours since I first heard Good 4 U and I already know it’s going to simply dominate my 2021 Spotify Wrapped. It was Rodrigo’s SNL performance that cemented me as a fan; as a ~ trained singer ~ I was in awe at her breath control while singing this song live.
My late-20s friend group and I have been listening to the song non-stop. I think why the millennial demographic is so drawn to Good 4 U in particular is because it immediately transports us back to another, dare I say, simpler time. A time of pop punk teen angst and Disney knees. On TikTok, you’ll find videos comparing Good 4 U to Paramore’s Misery Business*, often accompanied by the “it wasn’t a phase mom” sentiment. And I, for one, am thrilled to hear pop punk being thrown back into the mainstream. Whether the intention of the song was to be nostalgic or not, it works extremely well. Plus, it’s the ultimate break-up song.
The music video references the movie Jennifer’s Body, and the cheerleading uniform she sports is evocative of that worn by Mandy Moore’s character Lana Thomas in The Princess Diaries. The youths have pointed out that Lana Thomas’ boyfriend in the movie was named Josh Bryant, which is similar to Olivia’s ex-boyfriend’s name, Joshua Bassett. Coincidence? (We will not be getting into the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series spectacle here. With peace and love, I simply don’t have the energy). It’s these little Easter eggs found both in songs and in music video that generate even more hype around an artist.
*sings Stupid Cupid*
Before we get into Good 4 U more, let’s recap…
You haven’t been able to live life since January 2021 without hearing Drivers License, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single. To call it a smash hit would be an underestimation. The eighteen-year-old’s debut album SOUR was released just last week; every music publication and anyone with a Twitter account is writing their own dissertation on the album, and I intend to join in on the discourse.
The album opens with Brutal, in which she croons:
'Cause I love people I don't like
And I hate every song I write
And I'm not cool, and I'm not smart
And I can't even parallel park
Oomf. Even as a twenty-nine-year-old, I still relate (although my parallel parking skills have vastly improved since failing my driving test four times). I’m still exploring the album and will share more thoughts later on. But Brutal has stuck with me.
In addition to being a talented singer and performer, Rodrigo’s also a skillful songwriter. She has cited Taylor Swift and Lorde as some of her biggest music and songwriting inspirations, and that’s certainly heard in her music. Her screams heard in the bridge of Deja Vu are reminiscent to that of Taylor’s in Cruel Summer. The way she sings “soul” the second time in the bridge of Good 4 U is intentional, with a vibrato, reminiscent to that of the pained, spurned female musicians who have come before us.
I equate “SOUR” to what Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” was to me in high school. An album where I could scorn every boy who has ever wronged me and pine after my latest crush within the same 45 minutes. I can hear myself now screaming out the album with my best friend Tricia on the way to school in her green car, which was affectionally named Lola.
To me, Good 4 U is ushering in a new era and wave of pop music and pop girls. We’re seeing these newer artists paying homage to artists who I grew up (think Taylor, Demi, Miley, Katy, etc.). And perhaps it’s a dawn for a new age for female musicians and songwriters. Taylor was unjustly vilified for her heartbreak music, something I unfortunately partook in. Yet at the same time, I ate up every lyric from her earliest albums. Let’s take the experience Taylor had to do better for the young, upcoming women in music.
I look forward to screaming Good 4 U at the top of my lungs with all of you this summer. And to those who are in high school experiencing this album - soak in every moment with it.
In the meantime, I’ve created a collaborative “pop bops on repeat” playlist. Feel free to add in your own songs, or simply enjoy the listen.
* Editor’s Note: After listening to a Good 4 U + Misery Business mash-up, I’ve come to the realization that both songs could be about the same story, but from each girl’s perspective 🤯