The first time I heard Olivia Rodrigo’s new single, “vampire,†I got a bit of, well, déjà vu. The growing tension in the second verse — when the drums kick in and the piano becomes more forceful, like a film score foreshadowing a pivotal moment — took me right back to when Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro used the same trick on her 2021 breakout hit, “drivers license.†Now here she was, kicking off another album cycle with another piano-led ballad.
But listen close and you’ll find “vampire†isn’t just the sound of Rodrigo following a formula but perfecting one — a refreshing choice in the face of her make-or-break sophomore record, Guts. The instrumentals are crisper and grander, from the lush opening chords to the explosive guitar breakdown before the bridge. And Rodrigo’s lyrics keep the charming specificity of her Sour tracks while packing more of a clever punch. “Bloodsucker, fame-fucker / Bleedin’ me dry like a goddamn vampire†is a canny, indelible couplet that should have pop writers everywhere kicking themselves for not thinking of it first.
On Sour, Rodrigo’s acting background merely felt like an explanation for some of the project’s melodrama. The climaxes, even if cathartic, didn’t always feel fully earned, like the 0-to-60 bridge of “drivers license.†But “vampire†is a full performance, as Rodrigo builds a dramatic arc across the entire song. The bridge would even impress her mentor, Taylor Swift, with each line sounding more emotionally exhausted than the last.
Yes, “vampire†is another breakup track from Rodrigo. And yes, the gossipy details of who, what, when, and where are once again right there. (The love triangle that inspired “drivers license†didn’t just propel the single to success, it made it inescapable.) But it’s also captivating enough to make those real-life details feel extraneous. No gossip item could be as devastating as the way Rodrigo’s voice reaches, sinks, and trembles as she takes her ex to task.
When “drivers license†came out, it sounded like a deft synthesis of beloved influences — a little Lorde here, a little Billie Eilish there, a lot of Swift everywhere, a dash of the 1975 for good measure. That trend continued across Sour, when fans couldn’t help but hear Paramore and Avril Lavigne on pop-punk songs like “good 4 u.†The well of inspiration grows on “vampire,†with flashes of Lana Del Rey and Adele and even the Strokes. But more than anything else, “vampire†sounds like an Olivia Rodrigo song, and a great one.