vampire

Album

Guts

Label

Geffen Records

Genre

Pop rock

Composer(s)

Olivia Rodrigo;Dan Nigro

Entered Chart

Jul 15, 2023

Peak Date

Jul 15, 2023

Released

June 30, 2023

Recorded

Electric Lady (New York City)

"Vampire" is a haunting piano-backed lament that delves into the depths of a toxic relationship. In this maudlin and semi-gothic pop-rocker, Olivia Rodrigo recounts the tale of a boyfriend who manipulated her, fed her lies, and leeched off her fame. Rodrigo compares her ex-lover to a vampire, a creature that thrives on sucking the life force out of others. In this case, he took and took from her, leaving her emotionally depleted while offering nothing in return but empty promises. "It's just a song about feeling used, and all of the anger and regret and heartbreak that comes with it," Rodrigo told Billboard. "And I think that's a common feeling, whether or not someone's famous. That was something that was just really bubbling inside of me - it's kind of an angry song, and I think I have a lot of trouble expressing feelings like anger and regret, those are particularly tough ones for me to express. I go to songwriting to get those feelings out that aren't super comfortable to express in everyday life. So it was a very therapeutic experience, writing this song." In the first verse, we find ourselves amid a heartbroken piano ballad where a resentful Rodrigo addresses the guy who did her wrong. There's a venomous tone in her words, dripping with disdain. She hates to give him the satisfaction of asking about his current state - how's that castle he built, surrounded by people he pretends to care about? It's just what he always wanted, playing the cool guy who has it all. We continue with a slow and somber chorus as Rodrigo reflects on how this weirdo only ventured out at night - a clear warning sign she ignored. She had to learn the hard way that he was there to drain her life force and leach off her celebrity. The second verse kicks things up a notch with a driving beat, intensifying the story. Others tried to warn her about this sociopath, but Rodrigo turned a deaf ear, only hearing what she wanted to hear. Every girl she talked to revealed his true colors, but he convinced her otherwise. How can he lie without even flinching? It's bewildering and infuriating. The second chorus drives forward with a full drum track, amplifying the emotion. The bridge becomes a moment of pure evisceration as Rodrigo confronts him once again. He claimed it was true love, but could it really be? Loving someone would require a heart, something he seems to lack. During the second verse, Rodrigo hints that the vampire was much older, using the age difference to take advantage of her. She takes a swipe at him for dating younger women, which gives us a clue as to the potential subject of the song. Can't figure out just how you do it and God knows I never will Went for me and not her 'Cause girls your age know better Rodrigo wrote "Vampire" for her second album, Guts. The singer's late teens were marked by two relationships, each lasting approximately six months, both with older men. First up was producer Adam Faze, a 24-year-old when Rodrigo was 18. They shared a seven-month journey together. The second romance involved DJ Zack Bia, who was 26 while Rodrigo was 19, and their love story lasted for six months. Unfortunately, both relationships turned out to be toxic for Rodrigo. The online community remains divided regarding which of the two men, if not both, the song may be about. Let's explore the intriguing details. On one side, Rodrigo and Faze went public with their romance at a film premiere on June 30, 2021, which intriguingly aligns with the release date of "Vampire" exactly two years later. On the other hand, Rodrigo has shared that she wrote the songs for Guts when she was 19. This age corresponds with her involvement with the then-26-year-old DJ Zack Bia. It's possible Rodrigo channeled her emotions from both romances into "Vampire," capturing the essence of her experiences. Rodrigo gets so mad on the chorus that she drops an F-bomb (changed into "dream crusher" on the clean version). "I listened to a lot of heavier stuff growing up and that's what I've always been drawn to," she told Apple Music's Zane Lowe about her cussing. "But I think in my regular day-to-day life, I don't get to express those feelings of rage and dirty s--t and messing s--t up." "And I think in music, you have the freedom to express feelings that you don't get to express in your everyday life," Rodrigo added. "And so I think maybe that's why I'm so drawn to this, because I don't get to be messy every day in daily life and work." Rodrigo co-wrote "Vampire" with Dan Nigro, the main producer on her blockbuster 2021 debut, Sour. She started writing the song on piano in December 2022. "I remember writing it and feeling like something special was there," she told Billboard. "And I took it to my producer Dan, and we finished it up together and rewrote some things and produced it. It was quite a long production - it's pretty lush, so it took us a while. But I'm really happy with the way it came out." The shape-shifting song starts off as a piano ballad soaked in themes of betrayal, reminiscent of the emotional impact of "Drivers License." It bursts open into a pop-rock spectacle, unleashing a wave of jittery percussion and powerful vocal runs that embody wounded yet dramatic emotions. "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," said Rodrigo. "It's a song about feeling confused and hurt, and at first I thought it was meant to be a piano ballad. But 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." Rodrigo released "Vampire" via Geffen Records as the first single from Guts on June 30, 2023. So why did she choose this rock opera to lead her second album? "I think as the album was coming together, we were coming up with a bunch of songs that we really liked, but this one always stuck out to me as something that I felt like was honoring my singer-songwriter roots, but felt like an evolution - in a good way that wasn't too stark," she explained. "And so I really liked it for that, and it was always one of my favorites." Rodrigo recorded "Vampire" at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Nigro provided drum programming, sang backing vocals, and played guitar, percussion, piano, bass, Moog and synthesizer. The other musicians are: Benjamin Romans: piano Paul Cartwright: violin and viola Sam Stewart: electric guitar Sterling Laws: drums Cartwright, Stewart and Laws also played on Sour: Cartwright on "Brutal" and "Happier"; Laws on "Deja Vu" and "Jealousy, Jealousy"; Stewart on "Hope Ur Ok." Filmed in Los Angeles, the Petra Collins-directed video shows Rodrigo performing the song at an awards show. She captivates the audience until an unexpected twist takes center stage: A rogue stage light swings down, striking her shoulder with a powerful blow. But does that stop our fearless star? Absolutely not. As the pounding beat intensifies, a resilient and bloodied Rodrigo continues to pour her heart into the performance. When security guards surround her, she flees the auditorium, setting off a heart-pounding chase through the city streets. As she runs, Rodrigo ascends above the bustling traffic, defying the laws of physics. Perhaps she has a hidden secret, a vampire-like power coursing through her veins. Canadian photographer and fashion designer Petra Collins previously worked with Rodrigo on the visuals for her 2021 singles "Good 4 U" and "Brutal." Olivia Rodrigo came up with the Guts title before she released her 2021 debut Sour. "I had it for a long time. I had it actually when I was making Sour," she told Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe. "I'm like, 'I want the next one to be Guts.' I had it in my head. I'm like, 'Four letters, all caps, just like Sour. I love it. I just think it's an interesting word. People use it in so many interesting contexts, like spill your guts. Hate your guts, I think is a really interesting term. Means bravery, but it also means intuition, like listen to your gut. I just think it's all of these things that coincidentally were things that I've really been thinking about in this chapter."

Hate to give the satisfaction asking how you're doing now
How's the castle built off people you pretend to care about?
Just what you wanted
Look at you, cool guy, you got it
I see the parties and the diamonds sometimes when I close my eyes
Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise
I loved you truly
You gotta laugh at the stupidity

'Cause I've made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I should've known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think I was smart
But you made me look so naïve
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, dream crusher
Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

And every girl I ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news
You called them crazy, God, I hate the way I called 'em crazy too
You're so convincing
How do you lie without flinching?
(How do you lie? How do you lie? How do you lie?)
Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, tragic little thrill
Can't figure out just how you do it and God knows I never will
Went for me and not her
'Cause girls your age know better

I've made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I should've known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think I was smart
But you made me look so naïve
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, dream crusher
Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

You said it was true love, but wouldn't that be hard?
You can't love anyone 'cause that could mean you had a heart
I tried to help you out, now I know that I can't
'Cause how you think's the kind of thing I'll never understand

I've made some real big mistakes
But you make the worst one look fine
I should've known it was strange
You only come out at night
I used to think I was smart
But you made me look so naïve
The way you sold me for parts
As you sunk your teeth into me, oh
Bloodsucker, dream crusher
Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire