Olivia Rodrigo’s new song seems pretty catchy for a theme so dystopian.

Olivia Rodrigo has released her previously CD-exclusive track “serena joy” on streaming. It was originally going to be on her fantastic you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, but she reasonably decided that her The Handmaid’s Tale-inspired banger didn’t exactly fit the album.

“serena joy” is partially told from the perspective of Serena Joy, a character in Margaret Atwood’s novel and the later Hulu original series. She writes a book opposing women’s rights and argues that women should stay in the home, only for those same ideals to eventually oppress her. She is not even allowed to read her own book.

Olivia compares Serena Joy to modern-day anti-feminist women who suggest rolling back women’s rights, arguing that those women will remain in positions of relative power until they are no longer useful to the patriarchy. Sonically, the song blends genres like pop rock, pop punk, and new wave.

This whole era has been my favorite for Olivia’s music, and “serena joy” is no exception. I appreciate that it brings back the pop-rock sound that’s missing from much of her most recent album. She also effectively delivers the political message without it feeling preachy or forced. Using a fictional character to do so helps, along with it feeling less “girlboss” and more “we need to stick together or we literally will not have rights anymore.”

“serena joy” definitely wouldn’t have fit on you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, but it was far too good to stay unreleased. I am very glad that she decided to put it on streaming. I hope Olivia Rodrigo releases more overtly political music because this is a very interesting way to explore these kinds of topics through pop.

Emma Platt