Days after releasing a stellar new song exclusively via CD at one indie record shop, Olivia Rodrigo has officially dropped “Serena Joy” on all platforms.
With its layers of jubilant Devo-like synths, “Serena Joy” sounds sonically similar to the You Look Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love track “Expectations,” only the new gem is inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale, with lyrics like “If they do it to them/They’ll do it to you.” She co-wrote it with her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, who also produced the track.
In a recent video interview with ETalk, Rodrigo said “Serena Joy” was initially recorded for Girl So in Love, but it was ultimately cut. “I actually really love that song,” she said. “It didn’t fit on the record. The record was very much a chronicle of a relationship — beginning, middle and end. And that song didn’t really fit in the story I was trying to tell. But I hope that it’ll be a part of something else down the line.”
Rodrigo first released “Serena Joy” exclusively on CD, now on eBay for more than $300 (and currently unavailable via Discogs). That CD was only available for purchase at Tustin, California’s Analog Music Shop, seven-and-a-half miles away from her upcoming inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in Irvine’s Great Park.
“When we heard that Olivia Rodrigo was bringing an all-women music festival to Orange County, we were honestly just excited to see something this special happening right here in our hometown,” the record shop wrote on social media. “As one of the closest record stores in the area, we wanted to find a way to support Daisy Chain Fields.”
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The shop added: “More than anything, we’re grateful for what this represents: An artist building a stage for women in music and raising funds for women and girls. An artist willing to support a local independent record store. And a hometown getting to be part of something really special. That means a lot to us.”
Rodrigo will debut “Serena Joy” during her headlining set at Daisy Chain Fields, and will donate a portion of net proceeds to the festival’s fund. Chappell Roan, Doechii, Stevie Nicks, and more are also slated to perform at the festival, which takes place on Aug. 29.
