Days after debuting a new track exclusively on CD at a single independent record store, Olivia Rodrigo has officially released “Serena Joy” across all major streaming platforms.
Built on layers of jubilant, Devo-esque synthesizers, “Serena Joy” bears a sonic resemblance to “Expectations” from her project You Look Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. However, the new track draws lyrical inspiration from The Handmaid’s Tale, featuring lines such as “If they do it to them/They’ll do it to you.” Rodrigo co-wrote the song with her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, who also handled production duties.
In a recent video interview with ETalk, Rodrigo revealed that “Serena Joy” was originally recorded for Girl So in Love but ultimately excluded from the final tracklist. “I actually really love that song,” she said. “It didn’t fit on the record. The record was very much a chronicle of a relationship — beginning, middle and end. And that song didn’t really fit in the story I was trying to tell. But I hope that it’ll be a part of something else down the line.”
Rodrigo initially made “Serena Joy” available only on a limited-edition CD sold exclusively at Analog Music Shop in Tustin, California — located roughly seven and a half miles from the site of her upcoming inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival at Irvine’s Great Park. The physical copies have since surfaced on resale markets like eBay for over $300 and are currently listed as unavailable on Discogs.
“When we heard that Olivia Rodrigo was bringing an all-women music festival to Orange County, we were honestly just excited to see something this special happening right here in our hometown,” the record shop shared on social media. “As one of the closest record stores in the area, we wanted to find a way to support Daisy Chain Fields.”
The shop added: “More than anything, we’re grateful for what this represents: An artist building a stage for women in music and raising funds for women and girls. An artist willing to support a local independent record store. And a hometown getting to be part of something really special. That means a lot to us.”
Rodrigo is set to perform “Serena Joy” live for the first time during her headlining set at Daisy Chain Fields, with a portion of the festival’s net proceeds benefiting its associated fund. The lineup also includes Chappell Roan, Doechii, Stevie Nicks, and others. The festival takes place on August 29.