Olivia Rodrigo released “Bad Idea Right?” as a pre-release to her upcoming album, “GUTS,” on Aug. 11. The track rose to the No. 3 spot on Spotify the day it was released and gaining over eight million views on YouTube within the first week of its release. Though “Bad Idea Right?” stands out from the rest of Rodrigo’s discography for its more experimental sound, Rodrigo remains true to her demographic of teenage listeners with relatable experiences of young love and raw emotion.
In “Bad Idea Right?” Rodrigo sinffgs about the struggle to restrain herself from contacting an ex. Throughout the song, she tries to convince herself that it’s a bad idea, even as she’s planning to meet up with him. Rodrigo’s indecisiveness comes through in her lyrics as she changes her mind back and forth several times. The bridge features a change in the tempo, an electric guitar solo and feedback squeals, bringing about an edgier sound distinct from Rodrigo’s previous songs and symbolizing the intensity of emotion she feels when she sees her ex . Her voice gets louder as the music crescendos, and listeners anticipate a beat drop. Instead, there is a pause and Rodrigo says, “F**k it, it’s fine.” Though this may seem underwhelming, the impact is in the weight of her decision rather than the instrumental track. All of this happens in 10 seconds, depicting how quickly one canmake a bad decision.
Though some fans have speculated that “Bad Idea Right?” is about Rodrigo’s ex and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” co-star , Joshua Basset, Rodrigo said in an interview with The Fader that the song started as a joke about hooking up with an ex-boyfriend and is fictional.
Regardless of whether this is true or not, listeners who enjoy Rodrigo’s storytelling will appreciate this new track. Rodrigo improved the way she writes in this new track, and her lyrics have more depth and nuance than in her first album, “SOUR” (2021), which was more simple and straightforward. “Bad Idea Right?” shows a versatile musical approach all while keeping Rodrigo’s relatable lyrics. This new release shows what seems to be an evolution in her music and leaves us all longing for the rest of her album to be released Sept. 8.
