“deja vu” by Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo has had a really good 2021 so far. After shining in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, she released her debut single, “drivers license” on January 8th, and since then the song has become a pop culture juggernaut. It has launched Rodrigo’s music career, dominated the charts, inspired SNL skits, and gone double platinum. The hype surrounding her follow up and upcoming debut album (tentatively called *O*R) is sky high. This brings us to the release of her second single, “deja vu”, which came out on April 1st, 2021.

The track is a brokenhearted love song that combines elements of indie and psychedelic pop with an alternative edge. Rodrigo tells the story of a past lover who is now with someone else. She reminisces about their time together, and brings up how he’s now doing the same things with his new partner. This includes driving up the coast, getting ice cream, sharing jackets, watching reruns of Glee, and listening to “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. Rodrigo wonders if she knows that he’s just recycling things from their relationship, and if he feels deja vu when he’s with her. Rodrigo’s songwriting is again impeccable here. Her lyrics are witty and emotional, and perfectly paint a picture. They evoke a strong feeling which is what every songwriter should aim to do. The Taylor Swift comparisons that Rodrigo has garnered since her debut are apt, and she even stated that she drew inspiration from Swift’s “Cruel Summer” for the bridge. This track proves that Rodrigo is not a one hit wonder, and that she will be a force to reckon with in pop music for years to come.

The music video begins with Olivia driving on the coast in a convertible while eating ice cream. She pulls up to a house and exits the car, walking through a garden courtyard to enter the home. She’s wearing black high top chucks and a white top, which pairs well with her every-girl persona and the classic convertible she drove in. Once inside, she spies on a girl in a green dress. She then heads back to her place, now wearing the same green dress and watching the girl on a bunch of surveillance monitors. The monitors show both Olivia and the girl doing the same stuff, emphasizing their similarities and how this is deja vu. Rodrigo says she was going for a Killing Eve vibe for the video, and that stalker feel is very much there. The video isn’t necessarily the visual powerhouse that “drivers license” was, but it still fits the song well and again shows that Olivia Rodrigo is a star.