Olivia Rodrigo, one of the decade’s leading pop stars, recently released the lead single of her new album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” set to release June 12. The song, titled “Drop Dead,” has already reached the number one spot on the Billboard Top 100 upon its week of release. With raw lyricism and a catchy soundtrack, the song’s immediate success is not a surprise. This is Rodrigo’s fourth single reaching No. 1, a testament to her wide appeal and ability to connect to her audience. “Drop Dead” is memorable not only for its track but also for its timeless music video, which was filmed at the stunning Palace of Versailles. This marks the first time a music video has been filmed in the palace’s interior. For context, the palace was built in 1623 by Louis XIII and expanded until it became a symbol of the king’s absolute power, grandeur, and wealth. The palace is still regarded as a masterpiece of French architecture. “Drop Dead” connects to Versailles both lyrically and symbolically. The subject of the song is described by Rodrigo as “looking like an angel on the walls of Versailles” in the second verse. Overall, the palace itself encapsulates the song’s fascination with beauty and obsession perfectly. The video’s visuals add a new layer of emotion and tone, one that makes it impossible to forget.
This single perfectly encapsulates the complex, strong emotions of a fresh start with someone new. An NBC article mentions Olivia Rodrigo describing the song as “about a first date…trying to capture all those feelings of meeting someone that you have feelings for and just being like nervous and kind of insecure but super excited and like lovesick over this person.” These themes are very relatable to her target audience, Gen Z, and the album is expected to follow similar themes, a blend of joyful, innocent love as well as heartbreak and melancholy.
According to the National Building Museum, “design can elevate a song’s visual and emotional impact” when it comes to striking architecture at the heart of a music video, and Rodrigo accomplished just that. The video features Rodrigo prancing through notable historic rooms of the palace including the prince’s staircase, gallery of great battles, Grand Couvert Antechamber of the Queen, and the marble court. Permission to film in its halls, which is not taken lightly, comes from “a desire to inspire young audiences across the world to visit Versailles and consider the palace as a place of beauty and love,” in an interview done by artnet.
Olivia Rodrigo continues to prove that she is more than just a bubbly pop star, but also a gifted songwriter and artist, with an undeniable charisma and relatability that has created a loyal fanbase. With Grammy and billboard wins, chart-topping singles, and hosting SNL, it is clear that Rodrigo’s talent has manifested itself into an iconic status impossible to deny.
