At long last, Olivia Rodrigo returns today with “vampire,” a shape-shifting semi-gothic breakup jam that serves as the lead single off her eagerly awaited sophomore album, GUTS, due out in September. Written by Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro—Olivia’s creative partner on her blockbuster 2021 debut, SOUR—“vampire” soared straight to No. 1 on the Genius Top Songs chart, where it’s likely to remain for the foreseeable future.
“I was upset about a certain situation and went to the studio alone and sat down at the grand piano, and the chords and melody and lyrics just poured out of me—almost like an out-of-body experience,” Rodrigo said in a press release. “It’s a song about feeling confused and hurt, and at first I thought it was meant to be a piano ballad. But when Dan and I started working on it, we juxtaposed the lyrics with these big drums and crazy tempo changes. So now it’s like a heartbreak song you can dance to.”
The first verse has all the trappings of a heartbroken piano ballad, something akin to Rodrigo’s breakthrough single, “drivers license.” Only this time, Rodrigo’s older and wiser—there’s a little more venom in the way she addresses the guy who wronged her this time.
Hate to give the satisfaction asking how you’re doing now
How’s the castle built off people you pretend to care about?
Just what you wanted
Look at you, cool guy, you got it
The first chorus continues the slow and somber feel as Rodrigo recalls how this weirdo only left the house at night. That should’ve been a red flag, but she had to learn the hard way that he was only there to drain her life force and leach off her celebrity status.
I used to think I was smart
But you made me look so naïve
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, famefucker
Bleedin’ me dry like a goddamn vampire
The second verse adds a four-on-the-floor kick drum, which heightens the intensity as Rodrigo shares more of the story. People did try to warn her about this sociopath, but she only heard what she wanted to hear.
And every girl I ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news
You called them crazy, God, I hate the way I called them crazy too
You’re so convincing
How do you lie without flinching?
Later in the verse, Rodrigo drops another F-bomb and takes a jab at this dude for dating younger women. (It’s like her version of the “I’ll get older, but you’re lovers stay my age” line in Taylor Swift’s [“All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault].”)
Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, fucked-up little thrill
Can’t figure out just how you do it and God knows I never will
Went for me and not her
’Cause girls your age know better
A full drum track drives the second chorus and sticks around for the bridge, where Rodrigo eviscerates the dude once more.
You said it was true love, but wouldn’t that be hard?
You can’t love anyone ’cause that would mean you had a heart
In the accompanying music video, Rodrigo performs “vampire” at an awards show and does a bang-up job until a faulty stage light swings down and whacks her on the shoulder. Much to the audience’s shock, the bloodied Olivia continues singing, then flees the auditorium when the police try to make her stop. She winds up running through the streets of L.A. and floating above the traffic, perhaps because she’s a vampire, too.
You can read all the lyrics to “vampire” on Genius now.
