Olivia Rodrigo is in the midst of her grand return with the new single “Vampire” and the announcement of her sophomore album Guts. The song starts off small, beginning with just her gentle vocals and piano. It builds as it goes on, gaining momentum until it unfurls into a pulsating anthem.
However, the Sour star is back with a stripped-down version. It doesn’t lose any of it intensity this way; the lyrics come across as even more powerful against this more delicate sonic backdrop. Rodrigo’s knack for heart-wrenching ballads is showcased best in this intimate way.
Upon the original release of “Vampire,” she explained, “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,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Listen to the stripped-down version above.
Guts is out 9/8 via Geffen. Find more information here.
