On Aug. 11, Olivia Rodrigo released her new single, “bad idea right?” It is her second single from her upcoming sophomore album “GUTS,” which is set to be released Sept. 8.
This punk pop track is different compared to her previous work, which fans have had mixed feelings about. Her last album “Sour” featured many ballads, which is similar to the first single “vampire” from “GUTS.”
“Bad idea, right?”, which lasts three minutes and four seconds, is full of catchy tunes while also maintaining a punk-pop vibe.
The same night the single was released, the music video premiered. The video is a perfect representation of the song and brings the track to life.
It opens with a soft “Hey” from Rodrigo and then a hard beat begins to play. Her first verse sets the scene.
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“Haven’t heard from you in a couple of months/ But I’m out right now, and I’m all fucked up,” Rodrigo said.
The music video begins with a crash of thunder and the title card. It then shows clips of a house party.
It then cuts to Rodrigo and her three friends in the bathroom, freshening up. She looks right at the camera as the first verse begins, establishing a connection between herself and the viewers.
She looks back at the mirror and at the same time her phone buzzes and the screen lights up with a call from a contact labeled as “LOSER NOT WORTH MENTIONING.”
Rodrigo joins the rest of the party again as the pre chorus begins. It’s lighter in tone than the verse.
“My brain goes ‘Ah’/ Can’t hear my thoughts/ Like blah-blah-blah” Rodrigo sings.
After each of those lyrics, there’s an echo that repeats back the line which adds emphasis to the confusion she’s experiencing as she decides what to do about her ex-boyfriend.
Then there’s a buildup to the chorus as Rodrigo repeats the same line over and over again, gradually getting louder and sounding angrier.
“Seein’ you tonight, it’s a bad idea, right?” Rodrigo sings.
In the video, she sings the first part of the line, “Seein’ you tonight,” and then a different group of people repeat the second part of the line back to her confirming it might not be a good idea to see this guy tonight.
After the buildup the beat stops and Rodrigo whispers, “F— it, it’s fine.”
The chorus is fast-paced and brief. “Yes, I know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect?/ ‘I only see him as a friend,’ the biggest lie I ever said,” Rodrigo sings.
As quickly as the chorus comes, it leaves, and the next verse begins with Rodrigo having left the party to go see her ex.
“Now I’m gettin’ in the car, wreckin’ all my plans/ I know I should stop-, but I can’t,” Rodrigo said.
In the video, Rodrigo hops into the bed of a truck. It begins raining and the truck breaks down, so she gets off and boards a public bus.
Much like the last chorus, she looks miserable while she repeats the first part of the line and the people around her continue to say “It’s a bad idea, right?” in response to her.
Only this time, right after the buildup just before she whispers “F— it, it’s fine,” the man next to her spills his slushy all over Rodrigo.
The chorus begins once more as she gets off the bus and walks through a field, up towards this guy’s apartment.
She gets to the door and in sync with the beats, she bangs on the door and waits for him to answer.
At this point in the song, there’s an electric guitar solo that gives a dynamic punk vibe. It follows the pre-chorus and leads into the bridge and then the outro.
In the music video, a glowing figure lays on the bed in the apartment with fireworks exploding from it. Rodrigo walks over and lays next to it.
There’s one last firework that bursts, causing sparks and smoke to go everywhere. The glowing figure becomes a dark ash outline that lies on the bed in the shape of the figure that used to be there.
Rodrigo, unphased by the entire scene, lays next to the outline of the figure. Soft flames are scattered throughout the ash.
She then looks to her right to see a black spider crawling on the pillow she’s resting her head on.
There’s a jump cut to the ash and flames next to her as the camera tilts up towards the ceiling and the music fades.
Rodrigo’s single “bad idea, right?” is an eclectic mix of music and the video describes the song perfectly.
Rodrigo’s sophomore album is on its way to all streaming services this September and is a representation of a new genre of music from the artist.
