When Olivia Rodrigo released her second album ‘Guts’ earlier this month, there was one song that instantly grabbed fans and casual listeners alike, above all others.
‘Lacy’, a pretty, fingerpicked acoustic song, detailed an infatuation with another girl with “skin like puff pastry” – but also came with an undercurrent of jealousy. “You got the one thing that I want,” Rodrigo sings softly. “Ooh, I try, I try, I try / Try to rationalise / People are people but / It’s like you’re made of angel dust.”
In a new interview, the star was asked which song from ‘Guts’ she was most surprised people gravitated to, and ‘Lacy’ was her answer. “It’s sort of about this mysterious feminine figure, and there’s a lot of envy involved,” she told NPR. “I’ve seen so many girls who are like, ‘That’s my older sister,’ or ‘That’s my ex-best friend.’”
“I saw something the other day that was like, ‘I’m envious of my past. ‘lacy’ feels like my past self.’ It gives so much colour to these songs that I never could have thought of. And that’s why I think it’s really important to never specify who exactly a song is about — because I just love watching people have their own interpretations of it. I would never want to take that away.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Rodrigo discussed being the next artist in a long line of female pop stars who’ve got their start on Disney. “I often think about that lineage, and I’m very proud to be a part of that group of women; I think they’re incredible,” she said.
“I have always been very steadfast in my desire to have complete creative control over my career. And I think there’s this perception, this archetype of a Disney girl, as the sort of pop star who maybe sings other people’s songs, or something like that. That was always something that I resented growing up, because writing songs is my first love — it’s my biggest passion in life. I just always wanted to have autonomy over what I said and did.”
Next year, we’ll see that autonomy – and, hopefully, everyone’s favourite song, ‘Lacy’ – played out on massive stages as Rodrigo takes ‘Guts’ on the road for her second world tour. Last time the star hit the road, she brought out a ton of special guests at stops along the way to form some of her best on-stage collaborations. Will she do the same this time? That remains to be seen, but you don’t want to miss out on tickets – find out how to get passes for shows near you here.
