Olivia Rodrigo Opens Up About 'Guts' Lead Single: Inside the Torturous Decision-Making Process
Olivia Rodrigo playfully reveals how she put her cowriter, Dan Nigro, through the wringer with constant tweaks to the song Vampire, before ultimately choosing it as the lead single for her highly anticipated album, 'Guts'
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Olivia Rodrigo knew that “Vampire” would get fans excited for her sophomore album, Guts — but cowriter Dan Nigro wasn’t so sure.
One of the toughest decisions we had to make together was choosing "Vampire" as the lead single, even though it was one of the first songs written for the album. At the "An Evening With Olivia Rodrigo" event in Los Angeles, Nigro humorously mentioned that he lost a significant amount of hair while making the final call, while sitting next to Rodrigo.
While he preferred to release "Bad Idea, Right?" as the first song, everyone, including Rodrigo, disagreed and insisted that "Vampire" would be more successful. Ultimately, the lyric "bloodsucker, fame f—ker" in "Vampire" emerged as the winner.
Rodrigo confessed to tormenting Dan for months in order to achieve perfection for the song. She constantly insisted on making changes, whether it was the speed being too fast or too slow. They ended up with around 20 different versions at different BPMs, but surprisingly, nobody even noticed the variations.
Rodrigo released her second record in June, kicking it off with the debut single "Vampire." This track gained instant popularity, but Rodrigo faced some hurdles behind the scenes, particularly with regards to the controversial "fame f—ker" line.
During an interview with Audacy's "The Julia Show" in July, Olivia Rodrigo discussed the controversy surrounding the inclusion of the phrase "fame f–ker" in her song. Some individuals argued that it could potentially alienate listeners and make the lyrics less relatable. Rodrigo understood and acknowledged their perspective.
Rodrigo respectfully disagreed in the end.
According to her, the song is not solely about fame and promiscuity, but rather about someone who is manipulative and takes advantage of others, draining them of their value. She believes this theme is universal, and also emphasizes that fame is now more within reach for individuals beyond just those in Los Angeles and Hollywood.
In the recording studio, it wasn't just "Vampire" that posed challenges. Rodrigo and Nigro both reminisced about the countless tears shed throughout the 10-month process of crafting the album.
"Our frustrations led us to tears," she revealed. "We truly dedicated ourselves to this project."
Rodrigo later recounted experiencing a feeling of overwhelming fear while recording Guts.
"We definitely encountered some challenging moments where we questioned our abilities and wondered how we would overcome them," she noted. "During those times, we actually came up with a term for it in the studio - 'the dread' - when we were performing poorly. Sometimes Dan would recognize it, and other times I would."
Their dedication paid off in the end as Guts swiftly secured the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release on September 8.
Expressing her gratitude on Instagram, Olivia exclaimed, "I am constantly thankful," as she reacted to the news. She further added, "Thank you all for an incredibly love-filled and thrilling week."
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