Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?” is a testament to the fact that the American singer-songwriter can never fail to understand her generation and finely put down their struggles in the lines of a song. “bad idea right?” follows Guts‘ lead single, “vampire,” and if the first two songs are anything to go by, then we’ll be getting another album that’s filled with angst about the ups and downs of falling in love – though in Rodrigo’s case, love is mostly downs and the ups are nothing to lose sleep over.
The song sees Rodrigo contemplating whether she can risk getting back in touch with an ex that hasn’t even bothered to call in months. Ultimately, she decides to see her ex, hopeful there’s a chance they can reconnect.
“Haven’t heard from you in a couple of months / But I’m out right now and I’m all fucked up / And you’re callin’ my phone and you’re all alone / And I’m sensing some undertone,” she sings in the guitar-heavy track, going on to detail the mental struggle she’s going through trying to keep herself in check and not run back to said ex. “Seeing you tonight / It’s a bad idea, right?” she asks several times, before dismissing it.
The single’s rock vibes heavily supported the track, especially when she speak-sings sassy lines like, “fuck it, it’s fine.”
For this song, Rodrigo partnered with her favorite songwriter Dan Nigro, who was the main collaborator on her hugely successful first album, Sour, to pen its angsty and sassy lyrics.
The accompanying music video is a throwback to the ’90s with its fuzzy looks, color, and screen size and features some familiar faces that are sure to make fans point and stare in awe. It’s fun to see Rodrigo bring a semblance of normal to the video, by bringing on real-life pals Tate McRae, Iris Apatow, and Madison Hu to play her friends onscreen.
The Petra Collins-directed video opens with Rodrigo having fun with her friends at a party, before receiving a text that puts her in a chaotic mood, as she contemplates whether she should stick with her friends or go hang with her ex. The latter idea wins and she leaves the party, going through a series of misfortunes to get to the ex.
Sharing with fans on Instagram, Rodrigo wrote, “I had such a fun time making this song with @dan_nigro in nyc last year. we wrote the chorus as a joke but we loved it so much we made it into a full fledged song lol! I had a ball making the music video with my friends @petrafcollins @madisonhu @tatemcrae @irisapatow and I’m so happy it’s out in the world. u can listen and watch now!!!!!”
