A Sad Love Song’s Rise to Popularity

Only released about a month ago, the song “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo has been number one on both the Billboard Excl. U.S. Charts and Billboard Global 200 for about three weeks. “Drivers License” is an extremely emotional song about the narrator finally getting their driver’s license, a moment that is supposed to be happy, and being crushed because the person that they were most excited to share the achievement with is gone. In other words, the song is about absolute heartbreak and is completely ideal for singing alone while blasting it in a car at 3 am, which I strongly recommend. As a new song from a relatively new music artist, this song’s rise to popularity is astonishing, and many have broken down the reasoning behind its takeover.

While many think that its success is due to the real-life implications of Olivia’s love life, this is not entirely true. Although the context of the song may have brought more attention to it, her lyrics and style allowed the song to earn its place. Only seventeen years old, Olivia understands the intense emotions of teenagers and young adults, especially when it comes to love. As a result, the feelings expressed in the song largely cater to our generation, as we also navigate through the horror of love and relationships. Music has always been an incredible form to express oneself, either by creating or listening to it. “Drivers License” is a perfect example of this as both Olivia and her listeners are able to find comfort in the song. While she gets to share her emotions with millions of people, each listener finds that someone else is feeling the same way they do, allowing them to deeply connect with the song. Especially as Valentine’s Day rolls around and a lot of comfort is essential, songs such as “Drivers License” are perfect and critical in helping people deal with their feelings.