Rodrigo seemed to be laying the groundwork for an even rockier turn in her sound, bringing out rock legends like The Cure’s Robert Smith and The Talking Heads’ David Byrne during her Guts World Tour. Instead, aside from name-dropping The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ and leaning on guitars to drive the bridge, her new single actually marks a departure from Rodrigo’s rock-leaning sound. The production of 'Drop Dead' belongs more to the style her collaborator and producer, Daniel Nigro, employed on Chappell Roan’s ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’. The result is a dreamy synth-pop sound that welcomes us into Rodrigo’s new era.
The song fizzes with the excitement of falling in love. The pulsing synths that open the track create a textured foundation, built up further by Imogen Heap-esque layered backing vocals during the chorus “One night I was bored in bed / And stalked you on the internet”. The introduction of strings after the chorus leads into an almost spoken second verse, whose wordiness captures the breathless exhilaration of a requited crush. Rodrigo's vocals are as strong as ever, with a soaring melodic line throughout the chorus, especially on the lines “All pressed up in the bathroom line / You're lookin’ like an angel on the walls of Versailles”. The guitars on the bridge are a reminder that Rodrigo isn't fully abandoning her pop-punk roots, and there's no doubt that as the album rolls out, there will be a few rock tracks featured too.
The single is accompanied by a gorgeous music video set at the Palace of Versailles, directed by the iconic Petra Collins. The stunning visuals and picture-perfect vinyl covers have created a sumptuous, feminine world for the new album. Yet, there is a bittersweetness haunting the track, especially knowing that the “Gemini” referred to in the song, Louis Partridge, and Rodrigo have recently called it quits. Much like the bubble gum on the single’s cover, Rodrigo’s loved-up bubble shown in this single is destined to burst as the album continues. After all, she seems pretty sad for a girl so in love.
Kate South
Image: Official ‘Drop Dead’ Single Cover