Olivia Rodrigo seems to have the courage to call out those who have wronged her. On June 30, the Grammy winner debuted her new song "Vampire," the lead single from her upcoming second album GUTS . The song builds on the indie style of her debut album SOUR , starting out as a classic piano ballad, developing into an alternative rock anthem, and ultimately becoming one of Rodrigo's most cathartic bridges to date. But lyrically, it's sure to become as heartbreaking a classic as her breakout single "Drivers License."
In "Vampire," Rodrigo accuses an ex who appears to be exploiting their relationship for personal gain, likening them to a fame-hungry, energy-sucking vampire. But instead of naming names, she simply calls them "vampires" and "fame fuckers" in the main hook, which could go deeper. Rodrigo sang that she suffered "six months of torture" and ignored the other girls' warnings that her ex was "bad news." "You say they're crazy, God, and I hate the way I say they're crazy, too," she sings. "You are so persuasive, how come you lie without flinching?"
The 20-year-old singer also hinted at being taken advantage of because of her age, singing: "Go for me, not for her, 'cause girls your age know better." Of course, there's some classic vampires thrown into the song as well Stereotypes, paying homage to her exes who "only come out at night" and "sink your teeth into me." In the new "Vampires" music video, however, the references to the creatures are much more subtle.
The new clip, directed by her "good 4 u" director Petra Collins, shows Rodrigo singing the ballad part of "Vampire" among flowers before being hit by a lighting rig that suggests She actually performed at an awards show. After being hunted (a metaphor for how vampires are shunned by society), she ends the song simply suspended above the streets of Los Angeles.
In a post on Instagram, Rodrigo shared how working on "Dracula" with longtime producer Dan Nigro helped her through a tumultuous time in her life. "Writing this song helped me get over a lot of feelings of regret, anger, and heartache," she wrote, calling it "one of my favorite songs on the album." She continues to open up about the emotions that led her to write "Dracula" in a new interview. "I think it's just a song about what it feels like to be taken advantage of and all the anger and regret and heartbreak that comes with it," she told Billboard . "I think that's a universal feeling, whether someone is famous or not. That's something that really boils inside of me."
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"Dracula" was also partially inspired by "The Twilight Saga," one of the most famous vampire stories of all time. Rodrigo has slyly incorporated film legend into some of the promotional material for her new single, but her fan base transcends the "Vampire" era. "Even if I didn't have a song called 'Vampire,' I'd be posting about 'The Twilight Saga ,'" she quipped to Rolling Stone .
Read the full “Vampire” lyrics below.
Not willing to give others the satisfaction of asking you how you are doing now
How did this castle get built by someone you pretended to care about?
exactly what you want
Look at you, handsome guy, you got it.
Sometimes when I close my eyes I see parties and diamonds
Six months of torture, you sold it as a forbidden garden
i really loved you
You have to laugh at this stupidity
Because I've made some really big mistakes but you make the worst ones look okay
I should have known this was weird, you only come out at night
I used to think I was smart but you make me look naive
You sell me for parts while you gnash your teeth at me, oh
Vampire, Famer
Make me bleed like a fucking vampire
Every girl I've ever talked to tells me you're bad news
You call them crazy, God, I hate the way I call them crazy too
you are so convincing
How do you lie without flinching? (How do you lie, how do you lie, how do you lie?)
Oh, what a mesmerizing, mind-numbing, fucking little thrill.
Can't figure out how you do it, God knows I never will
for me not for her
Because girls your age know better
I've made some really big mistakes but you make the worst ones look okay
I should have known this was weird, you only come out at night
I used to think I was smart but you make me look naive
You sell me for parts while you gnash your teeth at me, oh
Vampire, Famer
Make me bleed like a fucking vampire
You say this is true love
But wouldn't it be difficult?
you can't love anyone
Because that means you have a heart
i tried to help you
now i know i can't
Because the way you think is something I can never understand
I've made some really big mistakes but you make the worst ones look okay
I should have known this was weird, you only come out at night
I used to think I was smart but you make me look naive
You sold me for parts while you gritted your teeth, oh
Vampire, Famer
Make me bleed like a fucking vampire
