Drivers License

## Music video

* Music Video
* Lyric Video

"**Drivers License**" (stylized in all lowercase) is Olivia Rodrigo's debut single. It's also the lead single and third track from her debut album, *SOUR*. It was released on January 8, 2021 through Geffen Records.

## Background

Rodrigo stars in the 2019 Disney+ mockumentary series, *High School Musical: The Musical: The Series*. She contributed a self-written song called "All I Want" to the soundtrack, which was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for earning over 500,000 units in the United States. The series was renewed for a second season in 2021. Rodrigo signed to Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Interscope Records, intending to release her debut EP in 2021.

She teased the song for many months in 2020, including some lyrics on Instagram. On July 23th, 2020, she posted a snippet, captioned *"Wrote dis the other day. vv close to my heart. gonna call it drivers license I think lol"*, where she plays the song on a piano. She then posted another two snippets in December 2020, captioning them with “soon” and “sooner.”

The song was announced on January 4th. The song was released to all digital music and streaming platforms four days later, alongside a music video on YouTube. "Drivers License" impacted US contemporary hit radio on January 19th. Due to the success of the song, it became the lead single to her now debut album, due to be released on May 21st, 2021.

## Tracklist

### CD single

1. Drivers License – 4:02
2. Drivers License (Radio Edit) – 3:47
3. Drivers License (Instrumental) – 4:01

## Theme

"Drivers Licence" details Olivia’s heartbreak at finally getting her driver’s license after months of talking about the idea of being able to drive over to her boyfriend’s house, only to find herself single after reaching the achievement all teenagers dream of at that age.

In an interview for Uproxx, Olivia talked about how the song came to be:

> *"When I came up with 'Drivers License', I was going through a heartbreak that was so confusing to me, so multifaceted. Putting all those feelings into a song made everything seem so much simpler and clearer—and at the end of the day, I think that's the whole purpose of songwriting. There’s nothing like sitting at the piano in my bedroom and writing a really sad song. It’s truly my favorite thing in the world."*
>
>

## Critical Reception

"Drivers License" received widespread acclaim from music critics. *Clash* critic Robin Murray dubbed the song a "sensational pop statement, an impeccable melodic moment right from the off". He praised its firm songwriting and atmospheric production. Matthew Kent and William Li, writing for *The Line of Best Fit*, complimented the song's euphoric sound and poignant lyricism, and asserted that the single is packed with "emotional punch after emotional punch". They dubbed the song a "stunning" and "stirring" debut single. Kelsie Gibson of *PopSugar* opined that the song gives off "major Lorde and Taylor Swift" influences, who are two of Rodrigo's musical inspirations. *Stereogum* critic Chris DeVille described "Drivers License" as a cinematic and old-fashioned power ballad, a "prime Spotify-core sadgirl fare" that starts "as a trembling Phoebe Bridgers song" and concludes as a "resplendent *Folklore* track".

Listing it amongst best new music, *Teen Vogue*'s Claire Dodson commented that Rodrigo employs soaring vocals, and capture "small details" in the song. Dodson thought the song channels "the songwriting prowess she already brings to the table". Naming it one of the "10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week", *Billboard* writers Gab Linsberg and Jason Lipshutz branded "Drivers License" the type of debut single "that aspiring artists dream of", where Rodrigo perfects her heartbreak's "fragility and heightened emotion". They commended the singer's range in the song, swinging between the crescendo's "stomp-clap harmonies" and the bridge's "choked-up balladry". Ellise Shafer of *Variety* found the song relatable and vulnerable, and complimented its production and vocal performance. Shafer noted it as "a must-hear for any pop enthusiast".

Calling the song an "early contender for song of the year", *Rolling Stone* critic Brittany Spanos noted that the production of "Drivers License" is reminiscent of Lorde's *Melodrama* (2017), while the lyrics and "detailed" storytelling channel Swift's *Fearless* (2008). Spanos lauded Rodrigo's songwriting skills and emotional potency at age 17, and added that "she could likely become pop's next great raconteur". Justin Curto of *Vulture* opined that "Drivers License" mixes "the intimate arrangements of *Folklore* and *Evermore* with the high stakes pop of *Lover*, tying it all together with a dramatic, Swiftian bridge". He also added that Rodrigo's calm vocals sound like Billie Eilish, while her anthemic moments recall Lorde, with hints of Alessia Cara. Jared Richards of *Junkee* stated that the song has "an irreducible quality, capturing a very specific heartbreak", blending "the slow-build piano-belters and bridge breakdowns of Lorde's *Melodrama* with Swiftian songwriting", and regarded it 2021's "Big Pop Moment".

## Commercial Performance

"Drivers License" was met with widespread commercial success across the globe, and has been dubbed the world's biggest hit in 2021. Upon release, the song reached number one on international Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music songs charts. *Billboard* reported that, in its first three days in the US, the song sold over 16,000 digital downloads and received more than 21 million streams. Compared to its release day, the song's total streams increased by 122% on its second day, and rose another 32% in its third day.

The song broke the Spotify record for most one-day streams for a non-holiday song, with over 15 million global streams on its fourth day (January 11, 2021). The next day, it extended its record with over 17 million streams. It also broke the record for fastest song to reach 100 million streams on Spotify. "Drivers License" went on to break the Spotify record for most streams of a song in a single week, with over 65 million streams in the week ending January 14, 2021. It also broke the record for the biggest global first-week streams for a song in Amazon Music history, and became the most requested song of a single day on Alexa.

"Drivers License" debuted atop the *Billboard* Hot 100, giving Rodrigo her first number-one single in the United States. It marked her second entry on the chart, after "All I Want". "Drivers License" earned 76.1 million streams, 38,000 digital downloads and 8.1 million airplay impressions in its opening week. Surpassing Jawsh 685, who topped the chart with "Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat)" with Jason Derulo, Rodrigo became the most-recently-born artist to top the Hot 100 (she was born on February 20, 2003), and the youngest since Billie Eilish, who topped the chart with "Bad Guy" in August 2019, as well as being the youngest artist ever to debut atop the chart. The song also topped the *Billboard* Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts. *Billboard* noted "Drivers License" as one of the most dominant number-one hits of all time, garnering more than double the Hot 100 units of its closest competitor, "Mood" (2020).

In the United Kingdom, "Drivers License" entered at number one the UK Singles Chart dated January 21, 2021. It spent two weeks atop the chart. Earning 2.407 million total streams on January 12, 2021 alone, the track broke the record for highest single-day streams in British history for a non-Christmas song, surpassing the previous record held by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You" (2017). With 95,000 units moved in its first week, "Drivers License" also had the biggest opening week for a number-one debut single atop the UK Singles Chart since Zayn Malik's "Pillowtalk" (2016). It moved 117,000 units in its second week, remaining at the top of the UK Singles Chart while "All I Want" simultaneously charted at number 32, marking her second top 40 hit in Britain.

In Australia, "Drivers License" opened at the atop the ARIA Singles Chart dated January 24, 2021, scoring Rodrigo her first number one song in Australia. In doing so, the song became the first debut single to top the Aria Singles Chart since Harry Styles' "Sign of the Times" in 2017. "Drivers License" spent two weeks atop the chart.

In Ireland, "Drivers License" landed at the top of the Irish Singles Chart. It was the country's most downloaded and streamed song of both of its first two weeks, outperforming the rest of the top-five combined, and remained at number one for a second week; it was accompanied by "All I Want", which rose to a new peak of number 16 on the chart.

Worldwide, "Drivers License" reached number one on both *Billboard* Global and Global Excl. the U.S. charts, generating 130 million streams and 49,000 sales with the former, and 54.5 million streams and 12,000 sales on the latter. It marked the highest weekly streaming total in the world for a song by a female artist, with 130,060,000 streams, surpassing the 130,042,000 sum for Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You".

## Music Video

The video, directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, adopts a vignette aesthetic and depicts Rodrigo's healing from heartbreak. She receives her driver's license in the video, but instead of going to her old lover's house like she used to dream of, she finds herself aimlessly cruising suburban side streets. Rodrigo reminisces about moments from her brief relationship. At the beginning of the video, she is embraced by the happy memories only, but eventually, all the toxic traits of her ex-partner confront her. The video received positive comments from critics for its visuals.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

I got my driver's license last week

Just like we always talked about

'Cause you were so excited for me

To finally drive up to your house

But today I drove through the suburbs

Crying 'cause you weren't around

**[Verse 2]**

And you're probably with that blonde girl

Who always made me doubt

She's so much older than me

She's everything I'm insecure about

Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs

'Cause how could I ever love someone else?

**[Chorus]**

And I know we weren't perfect but I've never felt this way for no one

And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay now that I'm gone

Guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me

'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

**[Verse 3]**

And all my friends are tired

Of hearing how much I miss you, but

I kinda feel sorry for them

'Cause they'll never know you the way that I do, yeah

Today I drove through the suburbs

And pictured I was driving home to you

**[Chorus]**

And I know we weren't perfect

But I've never felt this way for no one, oh

And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay, now that I'm gone

I guess you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me

'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

**[Bridge]**

Red lights, stop signs

I still see your face in the white cars, front yards

Can't drive past the places we used to go to

'Cause I still fuckin' love you, babe (ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

Sidewalks we crossed

I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing

Over all the noise

God, I'm so blue, know we're through

But I still fuckin' love you, babe (ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

**[Chorus]**

I know we weren't perfect but I've never felt this way for no one

And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay, now that I'm gone

'Cause you didn't mean what you wrote in that song about me

'Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

**[Outro]**

Yeah, you said forever, now I drive alone past your street

## Impact

The instant commercial success of "Drivers License" has been attributed to the rise of niche market for bedroom pop, the song's emotional lyricism and appeal, TikTok, the tabloid journalism and social media speculation surrounding the song, and Rodrigo's Disney career. *The Indian Express* opined that song is a part of the DIY movement in the music industry, where young artists (mostly Generation Z), such as Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, and Tate McRae, are capable of making music of "near-studio quality" without leaving the house. Commenting on the song's unprecedented success, Spotify's Becky Bass stated that "We've never seen anything like this, where you do have a newer artist that just comes out of the gate in such a dominant way, and just continues to grow".

*Paper* remarked that the song is a "product of years of pop trends" that resonates with millions of listeners, similar to the rise of Eilish in 2019, Lorde in 2013, or Taylor Swift in late 2000s, but occurred instantly in Rodrigo's case, because of recent technological innovations like TikTok that has altered the course of the music industry. The TikTok hashtag "#driverslicense" amassed over 888.5 million views in one week. *Paper* also highlighted consumers' interest in the song's romantic background (a phenomenon of listeners being invested in the drama between Disney co-stars) as a factor for the song's success. *The New York Times* writer Joe Coscarelli wrote that the song was spurred not only by its quality, but also the gossips surrounding it, paired with the label's marketing plan, and support from celebrities like Taylor Swift and Charli D'Amelio. He noted the autobiographical song bolstered tabloids and listeners to "piece together its real-life parallels", while TikTok videos lead to social media posts, "which led to streams, which led to news articles, and back around again", generating an "unbeatable" feedback loop. Coscarelli added that, similar to Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Bridgit Mendler, Rodrigo took "her experiences within the Disney machine and attempted to translate them for a broader, more adult audience".

*Stereogum*'s Chris DeVille found Rodrigo to be an example of "actor-turned-pop stars" who profit off their best-known roles, such as her *Bizaardvark* and *High School Musical: The Musical: The Series*, which "created a massive built-in audience for a prospective Rodrigo music career"; "Drivers License" maximized this interest by referencing the "behind-the-scenes drama" involving Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter. DeVille added that the song "will have ripple effects" that affect the industry in 2021 and beyond, as its bedroom pop sound is challenging hip-hop's dominance on streaming platforms. Douglas Greenwood, writing for *I-D*, asserted that "Drivers License" contains "all of the old-school ingredients of a hit". *Insider* dubbed the song an "early 2021 cultural touchstone", citing its "sad girl appeal" echoing Generation Z (similar to Lorde and Eilish), the celebrity romance associated with it lyrics (like that of Swift), the song's cinematic bridge, its TikTok popularity, and radio friendliness as contributing factors to the song's success.

## Promotion

After its rapid and sudden ride to success, Olivia did three performances for the song, and also posted a lyric video on her Youtube channel. Most of the single's promotion came organically through word of mouth and viral trends on TikTok using the track.

Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Fan Lyric Video)Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Behind The Scenes)Olivia Rodrigo- drivers license (TV Debut)Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (live performance w- Grammy Museum)Olivia Rodrigo - drivers license (Live From The BRIT Awards 2021)Olivia rodrigo – drivers license (live from SOUR prom)

## **Trivia**

* The lyric “But I still f\*\*king love you babe.” was changed to “But you know I still love you babe.” in clean releases to avoid cussing. This also happens on a Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Kevin Michael Key.
* The driver's license template that is synonymous with the song is actually incorrect. Since Olivia is under 21 years of age, the license should actually be vertical, and not horizontal.
* Olivia Rodrigo has said it's the best song she ever wrote.
* This is the longest song in her entire discography.

## References

1. ↑ Olivia Rodrigo: 19 facts about the Drivers License singer you need to know.
2. ↑ Olivia Rodrigo Is In A Lane Of Her Own In Her 'Drivers License' Video
3. ↑ Olivia Rodrigo Proves She’s In A Lane Of Her Own In Her Lovelorn ‘Drivers License’ Video

 Released