"Vampire" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Olivia Rodrigo | ||||
from the album Guts | ||||
B-side | "Vampire" (first demo) | |||
Written | December 2022 – January 2023 | |||
Released | June 30, 2023 | |||
Studio | Amusement (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:39 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Dan Nigro • Olivia Rodrigo | |||
Olivia Rodrigo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Vampire" on YouTube |
"Vampire" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. Geffen Records released it on June 30, 2023, as the lead single from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo co-wrote the song with its producer Dan Nigro. A pop rock tune, "Vampire" is driven by piano and rock instrumentation consisting of electric guitars, synthesizers, and programmed drums. An accompanying music video for the song directed by Petra Collins was released simultaneously.
"Vampire" topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, becoming Rodrigo's third chart-topping single in all eight countries. The song also reached the top 10 in Austria, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. It received the nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. Its music video won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Editing during the 2023 ceremony.
Rodrigo stated that her second studio album, Guts , would probably "be a lot happier" than her debut, Sour . [1] On June 13, 2023, she announced "Vampire" as the lead single from the album. [2] [3] Limited edition 7-inch and CD singles featuring a demo version of the song were made available for pre-order, [4] [5] along with its pre-save on streaming platforms. [6] "Vampire" was co-written by her and Nigro. Rodrigo told Billboard that she considered the song as her and Nigro's "version of a rock opera". She revealed it was selected as the lead single because it "felt like an evolution — in a good way that wasn't too stark", besides honoring her "singer-songwriter roots". [7] She further described its creation: "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." Rodrigo initially intended it to be a piano ballad, though "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." [8] The song was first written by Rodrigo in December 2022 and finished and recorded the following month. [7] [9]
The black-and-white cover art depicts Rodrigo with "a dark lip and purple criss-cross Band-Aids on her neck", based on which Nylon 's Steffanee Wang wrote that "it might lean in the gothic, shadow-y pop arena". [10] Some critics thought the Band-Aids indicated the spot where someone would be bitten by a vampire. [6] [11] The artwork also references the poster of the 1968 horror film Dracula Has Risen from the Grave . [12] [9] A 15-second snippet of the song was played when fans called Rodrigo's "Sour Heartbreak Hotline". [13] Rodrigo teamed up with YouTube Shorts to launch "#vampireOR2" on June 30, 2023, an Internet challenge exclusively on the platform. [14]
"Vampire" is three minutes and thirty-nine seconds long. [15] Nigro produced the song and provided drum programming. He plays guitar, percussion, piano, bass, and synthesizer, Benjamin Romans plays piano, Paul Cartwright plays viola and violin, Sam Stewart plays electric guitar, and Sterling Laws plays drums. Recorded at Amusement Studios in Los Angeles, Serban Ghenea mixed it. [16] [17]
"Vampire" is a goth-esque pop [17] and pop rock song. [7] It starts as a piano ballad, similarly to "Drivers License" according to Billboard's Jason Lipshutz, and eventually transforms into "a pop-rock epic full of jittery percussion and wounded, dramatic vocal runs". [7]
In the song, Rodrigo uses critical language towards an unidentified person, including "bloodsucker, fame fucker, bleedin' me dry like a goddamn vampire." "Fame fucker" is replaced in the clean version of the song with "dream crusher", and "goddamn" is shortened to "damn". [18] Rodrigo makes several references to vampires, and at one point, sings "I should've known it was strange you only come out at night". [17] She recalls how a several-years-older man she dated exploited her: "Went for me and not her / 'Cause girls your age know better". [19] [20] Listeners speculated on the song's subject, with many believing it to be about either film producer Adam Faze or DJ Zack Bia, both of whom Rodrigo "reportedly dated for about six months". [19] In an interview with GQ , Bia said that he did not believe the lyrics referred to him as "[t]here was never any drama" after their relationship ended. [21] Others believed the song was about Taylor Swift, which Rodrigo told The Guardian she "was very surprised" by. [22]
Rodrigo stated there was "a lot of vampire lore to be played with" and she found "fun songwriting fodder" in it. [23] She also revealed her and Nigro's vision for the song was how it "crescendoed the entire time and reflects the pent-up anger that you have for a situation". [9]
"Vampire" received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. The Guardian 's Laura Snapes gave the song a five-star rating and stated the pre-chorus "has a dreamy lightheadedness to it that's quickly become a Rodrigo trademark". Snapes also mentioned it "bears Rodrigo's wounds in a reminder of what's at stake for young women." [24] Pitchfork named the song as the "Best New Track", and Quinn Moreland stated that it proved the "undeniable songwriting chemistry" between Rodrigo and Nigro: "There's an unhurried emotional logic to the track's structure, mirroring a young woman's gradual understanding of her own agency." Moreland highlighted the chorus of "Vampire" as "especially showstopping, even as it indulges in some on-the-nose imagery". [25] Abby Jones and Jo Vito of Consequence thought the song "blossoms into a vehicle for Rodrigo's candid, emotional performance", and "the arrangement opens up to a high-energy backbeat, akin to the more upbeat tracks from Sour" after the second verse. [12] Justin Curto of Vulture called the track a "full performance" that featured "each line sounding more emotionally exhausted than the last". He wrote that Rodrigo's lyrics "keep the charming specificity of her Sour tracks while packing more of a clever punch". [26]
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
BBC | The Best Songs of 2023 | 5 | [27] |
Billboard | The 100 Best Songs of 2023: Staff Picks | 30 | [28] |
Entertainment Weekly | The 10 best songs of 2023 | 3 | [29] |
The Guardian | 20 Best Songs of 2023 | 7 | [30] |
The New York Times | Lindsay Zoladz's Best Songs of 2023 | 1 | [31] |
NME | The 50 Best Songs of 2023 | 4 | [32] |
Pitchfork | The 100 Best Songs of 2023 | 52 | [33] |
Vulture | The Best Songs of 2023 | 1 | [34] |
"Vampire" debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, with 35.5 million streams, 26,000 sales (17,000 physical units; 9,000 digital downloads), and 26.3 million radio airplay audience impressions in its first week, ending July 6. The single also debuted atop the Streaming Songs chart. [35] Bolstered by the release of its parent album, the single rebounded to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at the top for a second week. [36] It tied for the longest gap between weeks at number one in a single chart run (9 weeks), matching the gap of Miley Cyrus' 2013 single "Wrecking Ball". [37]
The song also debuted atop the Canadian Hot 100, becoming her third number-one in Canada. [38]
The song reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in its ninth week and received a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which denotes track-equivalent sales of 200,000 units. [39] [40]
In Spain, following the release of the album, "Vampire" reentered the Top 100 at number 53, becoming its best-performing week in the country. [41]
On June 27, 2023, YouTube Shorts shared a teaser in which Rodrigo can be viewed resting on a patch of grass before being deluged by a blue-green haze while "a pounding electric guitar-filled snippet of 'Vampire' plays", which Billboard thought was likely from its music video. [42] A later teaser shows her lying under a full moon while a piano-driven instrumental plays. [43] Petra Collins—with whom Rodrigo had previously worked on the visuals for her 2021 singles "Good 4 U" and "Brutal"—directed the video, which was released at 12 a.m. ET on June 30. [44] Hours prior to its release, the artist premiered the video at an exclusive YouTube Space event in Playa Vista, Los Angeles. [45]
Filmed in Los Angeles, the music video for "Vampire" contains references to vampires "without being too on the nose". [17] In the video, Rodrigo performs the song in an ethereal flower field. Once it is revealed that she is actually performing on stage at an awards show, she is hit by a falling light. As the pounding beat picks up speed, Rodrigo, who has a severe gash on her shoulder, keeps performing while spilling blood on her face and white outfit. When security guards surround her and attempt to escort her off the stage, she runs off and begins to feel ambushed as she runs out of the theater. Security continues to chase her into the city, which eventually culminates in her levitating into the night sky. [46]
Rodrigo's first live performance of "Vampire", on the piano, was published to her YouTube channel on July 6, 2023. [23] On September 8, she gave the first televised performance of the song along with "Get Him Back!" on Today . [47] She again performed "Vampire" along with the latter at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on September 8, [48] DayDay on September 26, [49] and Live Lounge on October 2. [50] On October 9, Rodrigo performed an acoustic rendition of the song at her one-off concert, An Evening With Olivia Rodrigo, in Los Angeles. [51] [52] The song was part of her set on the December 2023 Los Angeles and New York City dates of iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball Tour 2023. [53]
In February 2024, she performed the song live again at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards. [54] "Vampire" was included in Rodrigo's setlist on the Guts World Tour (2024). [55]
Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
MTV Video Music Awards | 2023 | Video of the Year | Nominated | [56] [57] |
Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Best Pop | Nominated | |||
Best Editing | Won | |||
Best Cinematography | Nominated | |||
Song of Summer | Nominated | [58] | ||
MTV Europe Music Awards | 2023 | Best Song | Nominated | [59] |
Best Video | Nominated | |||
NRJ Music Awards | 2023 | International Video of the Year | Nominated | [60] |
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 2023 | Best Solo Artist Video: International | Won | |
Musa Awards | 2023 | International Anglo Song of the Year | Nominated | [62] |
Grammy Awards | 2024 | Record of the Year | Nominated | [63] |
Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Best Pop Solo Performance | Nominated | |||
People's Choice Awards | 2024 | The Song of the Year | Won | [64] |
Brit Awards | 2024 | Best International Song | Nominated | [65] |
Global Awards | 2024 | Most Played Song 2023 | Nominated | [66] |
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2024 | Song of the Year | Nominated | [67] |
Pop Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
Best Music Video | Nominated | |||
Best Lyrics | Nominated | |||
Webby Awards | 2024 | Music Video (Webby Winner) | Won | [68] |
Music Video (People's Voice Winner) | Won | |||
Best Individual Performance (People's Voice Winner) | Won | [69] |
Weekly charts | Monthly charts
Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [147] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA) [148] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [149] | Diamond | 160,000‡ |
Canada (Music Canada) [150] | 3× Platinum | 240,000‡ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [151] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [152] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
Italy (FIMI) [153] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [154] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
Poland (ZPAV) [155] | Platinum | 50,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP) [156] | 2× Platinum | 20,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [157] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [158] | Gold | 10,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [159] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [160] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Greece (IFPI Greece) [161] | Gold | 1,000,000† |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Various | June 30, 2023 | Geffen | [15] | |
United States | Contemporary hit radio |
| [162] | |
Italy | July 7, 2023 | Radio airplay | Universal | [163] |
United Kingdom | August 29, 2023 | Cassette | Polydor | [164] |
"So American" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from Guts (Spilled), the 2024 deluxe edition of her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the deluxe edition's 17th track on March 22, 2024, when it was released by Geffen Records. Musically new wave, pop, rock and roll, "So American" is the first love song in Rodrigo's discography and features her dating a non-American man and praising him.
"Drivers License" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on January 8, 2021, by Geffen and Interscope Records, as the lead single from her debut studio album Sour. She wrote the song alongside producer Dan Nigro. Containing poignant lyrics detailing heartache, "Drivers License" is a power ballad blending bedroom pop, alt-pop, and power pop styles. It is characterized by a minimalist, piano-led production, incorporating kick drums, harmonies, syncopated hand-claps, and a dreamy bridge. One of 2021's most successful songs, "Drivers License" launched Rodrigo's music career.
American singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo has released two studio albums, one reissue, three extended plays (EPs), ten singles, and ten music videos. She contributed to the soundtrack of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, releasing ten promotional singles from it, with "All I Want" managing to chart worldwide at a peak position of 119. After signing with Interscope and Geffen Records in 2020, she released her debut single "Drivers License" in January 2021, which propelled her to international fame. "Drivers License" debuted at number one in the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, where it stayed for eight consecutive weeks, and topped the charts in 25 other countries. Subsequently, "Drivers License" was certified six times platinum in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), eight times platinum in Canada by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), seven times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), three times platinum in Norway and Portugal, two times platinum in United Kingdom, Poland, New Zealand and Sweden, and platinum in 10 other countries.
"Deja Vu" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on April 1, 2021, through Geffen and Interscope Records, as the second single from her debut studio album, Sour (2021). Rodrigo wrote the song with its producer Dan Nigro, with Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent receiving writing credits for its interpolation of Swift's 2019 song "Cruel Summer". An incorporation of various pop sub-genres, "Deja Vu" is about heartbreak and explores Rodrigo's anguish about her ex-partner repeating things they did in his new relationship.
Sour is the debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on May 21, 2021, by Geffen Records. The album was written by Rodrigo and producer Dan Nigro. Originally planned as an EP, Sour was expanded into a full-length album following the viral success of her debut single, "Drivers License".
"Favorite Crime" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It is the tenth track on Rodrigo's debut album Sour, which was released on May 21, 2021, through Geffen Records. It is a folk-pop and indie pop ballad, written by Rodrigo and its producer Dan Nigro.
"Happier" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, seen as the eighth track on Rodrigo's debut studio album Sour (2021), which was released on May 21, 2021, through Geffen Records. The song was produced by Dan Nigro. According to Rodrigo, this song was inspired by the song ''Perfect'' by Ed Sheeran in both the lyrics and the instrumental track.
"1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It is the fourth track on her debut studio album, Sour, which was released on May 21, 2021, via Geffen Records. Dan Nigro produced the song. Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff also received songwriting credits for its interpolation of Swift's 2017 song "New Year's Day".
"Traitor" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released to US mainstream radio on August 10, 2021, through Geffen Records, as the fourth single from Rodrigo's debut album, Sour (2021). An indie pop and guitar-rock ballad, the song was written by Rodrigo and Dan Nigro, and produced by the latter.
"Brutal" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released to Italian radio on September 3, 2021, through Geffen Records, as a promotional single from Rodrigo's debut album, Sour (2021). "Brutal" was written by Rodrigo and Dan Nigro, and produced by the latter.
"Good 4 U" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on May 14, 2021, through Geffen and Interscope Records, as the third single from Rodrigo's debut studio album, Sour (2021). The song was written by Rodrigo and its producer Dan Nigro who co-produced it with Alexander 23.
Guts is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, released on September 8, 2023, through Geffen Records. It was written and recorded with Rodrigo working closely alongside Dan Nigro, the producer and multi-instrumentalist of her debut album Sour (2021). Inspired by the period of time immediately following Sour's success, Rodrigo conceived Guts hoping to reflect the process of maturity she experienced toward the end of her teenage years.
"Obsessed" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from Guts (Spilled), the 2024 deluxe edition of her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with Annie Clark and its producer, Dan Nigro. Geffen Records released it as a single alongside the deluxe edition on March 22, 2024. A rock, pop rock, and dance-rock song with pop-punk, punk rock, and grunge influences, "Obsessed" details Rodrigo's jealousy and ruinous preoccupation with her partner's ex-girlfriend through a sapphic narrative.
"Bad Idea Right?" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo co-wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. Geffen Records released it as the album's second single on August 11, 2023. A rock, pop rock, jangle rock, and grunge song influenced by several other genres, "Bad Idea Right?" features Rodrigo contemplating whether or not it is a good idea to hook up with her ex-boyfriend and weighing its pros and cons.
"Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the album's fifth track on September 8, 2023, when it was released by Geffen Records. A pop-punk, pop rock, alternative rock, garage punk, and emo song, "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl" is about social anxiety and features Rodrigo recounting embarrassing experiences at a party.
"Love Is Embarrassing" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the album's ninth track on September 8, 2023, when it was released by Geffen Records. A new wave song, "Love Is Embarrassing" has self-deprecating lyrics in which Rodrigo derides her crush and expresses embarrassment about how much she was attracted to him.
"Get Him Back!" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. EMI Records released it as the album's third single on September 15, 2023. A rap rock, pop rap, and pop-punk song with influences of pop rock, "Get Him Back!" explores Rodrigo's desire to exact revenge from her ex-partner while simultaneously wanting to reconcile with him, with the titular phrase conveying a double meaning.
"All-American Bitch" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the album's first track on September 8, 2023, when it was released by Geffen Records. "All-American Bitch" begins as a folk song and transitions into pop-punk during the chorus, incorporating influences of punk, rock, grunge, and pop rock. Lyrically, it is satire and explores society's contradictory expectations from women and their double standards.
"The Grudge" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the album's 10th track on September 8, 2023, when it was released by Geffen Records. A piano-driven power ballad, "The Grudge" details Rodrigo's regret and burnout after somebody she looked up to betrayed her trust. Critics varied in their interpretation of the song, with some interpreting its subject as the breakup of a romantic relationship while others believed it was about Rodrigo's relationship with Taylor Swift.
"Can't Catch Me Now" is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from the soundtrack to the 2023 American dystopian action film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. Geffen Records released it as the soundtrack's second single on November 3, 2023. A folk rock ballad driven by acoustic guitars, "Can't Catch Me Now" has lyrics about vengeance and the narrator's ubiquitousness in the subject's life, inspired by the film's plot.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: Unknown parameter |people=
ignored (help)