Olivia Rodrigo is returning on April 1 with a brand new single, “deja vu.” Despite its release date, the best-selling singer, songwriter, and actress confirmed on Twitter that it is “not an April fools joke.”
The news comes after Rodrigo cleared out all of her Instagram posts, leading fans to speculate about her next move. Now, everyone is likely wondering whether Rodrigo will have déjà vu on the charts, following her record-breaking hit “drivers license.”
Released in January, the emotional “drivers license” hit No.1 in more than 20 countries, breaking countless records along the way. Among them, Rodrigo became the youngest artist, at 17, to top the Billboard Hot 100 (breaking Billie Eilish’s record), and the youngest to debut at the top of the chart. Already certified 2x platinum by the RIAA, “drivers license” spent a total of eight consecutive weeks at No.1 before being ousted by Drake’s “What’s Next.”
In February, Rodrigo was included on TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 Next list, which spotlights “emerging leaders who are shaping the future.” Speaking to Rodrigo’s talents in the piece, pop legend Gwen Stefani noted that Rodrigo “is a master at turning her heartbreak into something glorious…while Olivia’s storytelling is confessional and intimate, it’s also larger than life. By pouring her heart out with so much courage and total command of her talent, Olivia made magic.”
Stefani added, “Every line in ‘Drivers License’ feels like it was ripped out of Olivia’s diary…Rare is the artist who can transport that way, especially at such a young age.”
While no additional details have been revealed about Rodrigo’s follow-up, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, who recently celebrated her 18th birthday, spoke to NYLON about how she envisions a full-length project. “I want it to be super versatile,” she explained. “My dream is to have it be an intersection between mainstream pop, folk music, and alternative rock. I love the songwriting and the lyricism and the melodies of folk music. I love the tonality of alt-rock. Obviously, I’m obsessed with pop and pop artists. So I’m going to try and take all of my sort of influences … and make something that I like.”
“deja vu” is available this Thursday, April 1 at 9:00 am. Presave it here.