1. It was a relatively sleepy start to 2021 in pop before the “License” craze swept the country last week. Are you driving the wave of Olivia Rodrigo, riding a passenger, crawling cautiously after him or hanging from the top to save his life?
Lyndsey Havens: I wouldn’t mind driving the train, but I’m sure I’m on a passenger so I can try to lean out of the window while my hair blows in the suburban breeze like Olivia does in her music video for this success. I know some people who aren’t even in the car, but I’m sure they’ll want to get in soon.
Jason Lipshutz: I’m very happy behind the wheel of Olivia Rodrigo’s wave, honking the car’s horn at the time of each clap. There are many reasons why “Driver’s License” became a rare No. 1 non-superstar debut in the Billboard Top 100, but most of all, it is because the music is absolutely fascinating as an incisive pop narrative and vocal showcase. If Rodrigo manages to release songs up to half of his “driver’s license”, she will have a long and fruitful career.
Mia Nazareno: I’m walking with a shotgun and headbanging with Olivia as she sings: “I still love you, dear!” – although I’m in the healthiest adult relationship of my life, lol. But that’s the magic of music: whatever your relationship status, the track has a way of pulling you back to that time in your life when your biggest problem was your passion not liking you back (it was a big deal at the time, OK ?!). And at the age of 27, I like songs that remind me of my pre-responsibilities, which is why I play them continuously while working on my adult job.
Andrew Unterberger: I’m clinging to the top to save my life – now, the speed of this thing is still too out of control for me to feel otherwise. But I hope I can sit in the passenger seat if and when I slow down a bit.
Denise Warner: When I first heard it, I would say cautiously creeping backwards. But after a few more laps (and an explanation of the supposed drama behind the song), I was totally hooked and now I’m firmly in the passenger seat. The mix of lyrics by Taylor Swiftian, the sound of Lorde with a touch of Grey’s Anatomy– the melancholy of the soundtrack pulls me in
2. Without referring to any real-life drama, what does “Driver’s License” do exceptionally well as a song that may have helped it become a success?
Lyndsey Havens: It’s an incredibly well-crafted power pop ballad. From the acceleration of the engine (from your mother’s car) to the exuberant and emotional chorus, underlined by the syncopated applause, to the raw and relatable lyrics (if you didn’t cry in your car driving through the suburbs, you’re missing out) this song goes off all cylinders. And when we get to the bridge, oof. Hearing her admit and say “I still love you” offers a new narrative of breaking up – one (largely) free from bitterness or guilt.
Jason Lipshutz: The more I hear “Driver’s License”, the more I realize how crucial this bridge is – the moment when Rodrigo’s voice is accompanied by a heartbroken chorus, anger and hurt give way to persistent feelings of love, and the single becomes a complete hymn. This transformation in the midst of music is extremely difficult to accomplish while still preserving the emotional risks of your narrative, but the way in which your “driver’s license” naturally increases in your crescendo is the main key to your success.
Mia Nazarene: Music does a great job of choosing an artifact – in this case, a driver’s license – from our teens that meant everything to us as 16 year olds. Olivia is so specific with her disgust when she mentions her new love’s blond hair and driving alone down the street. With these details, we also remember our first love and the girl he left us for. Ouchhhh. Let’s say I don’t feel that way every time I hear 24kGoldn’s “Mood”. (No shade though.)
Andrew Unterberger: The bridge is the peak, but the waterfall “You didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me” in the chorus is the anchor. It’s a moment big enough to catch the eye of each chorus – although not so big that you feel exhausted by the end of the song – and it adds that extra necessary layer of goal that has made countless celebrity separation hymns exponentially more intriguing in half a century since “You are so conceited” for the first time invented the tactic.
Denise Warner: Much like Swift, Rodrigo hits a nerve with his compositions that can span generations. Young fans will look forward to their first failed loves. Even the youngest teenagers will recognize the sadness that is likely to befall them in their lives. And with the older ones, the music arouses a feeling of bittersweet nostalgia.
3. But speaking of the real-life drama – Rodrigo’s co-star in HSM and alleged ex-Joshua Bassett released “Lie Lie Lie” last Thursday, which many see at least in part as a response to ” Driver’s license”. Do you think the song will have its own legs or will it end up being a mere footnote in the history of the “driver’s license”?
Lyndsey Havens: A footnote, for sure. The strategically timed release of “Lie Lie Lie” was certainly enough to cause speculation, although it was said that the song was being produced long before “Drivers License” arrived; moreover, they do not appear to be two sides of the same coin. Instead, the narratives told in each seem to be from different books – which is fine with me, because it gives the “License” even more space to fly on its own.
Jason Lipshutz: I mean … smart money is in the “footnote”, right? “Lie Lie Lie” grew on me in the last few days, but even though Bassett made his own hit, it is highly unlikely that he will smell the unprecedented heights of “Driver License,” simply because most songs don’t! Bassett could very well become a star on his own, but “Lie Lie Lie” will inevitably be compared to “driver’s license” in terms of commercial value, and that is a difficult task to match.
Mia Nazareno: Footnote !!! I’m willing to bet that you probably heard “Lie Lie Lie” because you were curious to hear Joshua’s supposed crack, and then you promptly switched to “Drivers License” and forgot that Bassett released a song in the first place. If you are going to release a song because your ex wrote a successful single about you, I would let it cool down before releasing a mediocre song. Follow John Mayer’s suggestion (supposedly).
Andrew Unterberger: Footnote, probably – the music is already sliding quite precipitously on the daily streaming charts, where “Driver’s License” was still shooting last week. But many people certainly know Bassett’s name and music that they didn’t know two weeks ago, so in that sense, it’s still a very strong foundation for him to build on, no matter how successful it ends up being.
Denise Warner: Although Bassett’s music follows Rodrigo’s, it was written well before “Driver’s License”. I suppose “Lie Lie Lie” will capitalize on Olivia’s success a little, but in the end it will be a footnote, left behind in the dust.
4. In the great tradition of the industry, there will undoubtedly be a mad rush to locate the next Olivia Rodrigo and / or “driver’s license”. What advice would you give to record companies in their search?
Lyndsey Havens: For me, Olivia is a special case – as is the case with most uncontrolled hits and future superstars. When she got her role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, a partial tie was her experience as a composer; it’s not like music is an afterthought for her. So, I suppose my advice is to comb talent with those roots.
Jason Lipshutz: When reporting on the release of “Driver’s License”, I found that the key to his contract with Geffen Records was how impressed the record label’s A&R team was with his compositions, specifically as her only writer High School Musical ballad “All I Want”. The authenticity of “Driver’s License”, which Rodrigo co-wrote with Dan Nigro, is one of its strongest aspects, with its perspective coloring in every detail; for any record company or company looking for the next Olivia Rodrigo, this type of composure resource should be highly valued.
Mia Nazareno: I would say keeping in touch with youth culture in a genuine way. The name of the game is Generation Z: They are not like us! We saw how much 14 year olds influence when looking at the last chart leaders who started on TikTok. In Olivia’s case, her fan base seems to have inherited from High School Musical restart – and when they get older, download TikTok. Now they are setting trends.
Andrew Unterberger: I would say that if you are looking for the next teen pop sensation, look for the boy who eats, sleeps and breathes music. That was Taylor Swift 15 years ago, certainly, and it’s Olivia Rodrigo today – two absolutely voracious consumers and students of pop music in all its forms, who are as committed to discovering their secrets as the rest of us, and with the talent and work ethic to really do that. It is almost always better to bet on this type of artist in the long run than on young sensations who only see music as another form of content.
Denise Warner: Support young talent, but don’t try to force them. It’s Rodrigo’s authenticity, voice and High School Musical fan base that is driving this success – and no amount of marketing will make up for the lack of these characteristics.
5. Call now: for how many weeks do you think the “driver’s license” will be number 1?
Lyndsey Havens: I’m going with seven weeks, because it’s my lucky number and it also looks right. However, Billie Eilish and Rosalía’s new track seems to threaten to perhaps dethrone “Driver’s License” over time … and if we get a video clip of Ariana, Meg and Doja for the “34 + 35” remix, that could be a changer game too.
Jason Lipshutz: Let’s go with 10 – music is enough of a phenomenon to reach double digits. Now we are just 10 months from asking, how many Grammy nominations will this have?
Mia Nazareno: Eight weeks! Unless BTS releases another song like “Dynamite”, I can see “Driver’s license” staying on top for a while. Fingers crossed!
Andrew Unterberger: If the radio and streaming worlds remain as sleepy as before the “driver’s license” goes off like an alarm clock, it could probably be number one during the summer, without too many challenges. But there are too many big names to make a comeback so that’s the case for too a lot more; I would set the high / low current for Olivia’s first race to be No. 1 in nine weeks.
Denise Warner: I have to grow up or go home – I will say 20 weeks, a new record.