Olivia Rodrigo has officially released her politically charged new song «Serena Joy» on streaming platforms, following a limited physical release that sold out within hours. The track, named after a central character in Margaret Atwood's dystopian novel «The Handmaid's Tale», arrived on major streaming services on August 24 after Rodrigo teased the drop on Instagram.
The song was first made available on a limited run of just 500 CDs, all sold exclusively at Analog Record Shop in Tustin, California on Friday, August 21. The store sits just miles from the site of Rodrigo's upcoming Daisy Chain Fields festival, and all copies were snapped up on the day of release. Announcing the streaming debut, Rodrigo wrote: «Surprise!!! Serena Joy out on streaming platforms now. A portion of all net proceeds go to Daisy Chain Fields Fund. I love this song so much!!!!»
The track takes its name from Serena Joy Waterford, a character in Atwood's 1985 novel who helps establish the patriarchal and authoritarian regime of Gilead, only to find herself stripped of rights and freedoms by the system she promoted. Rodrigo's song takes aim at cruel, oppressive systems and the people who benefit from them, with lyrics including: «Come a little bit closer, sing along, sing along / What they tell you to do / Comin' around the corner / If they do it to them, they'll do it to you».
Rodrigo recorded «Serena Joy» during the sessions for her third album «You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love», which was released in June, but the track did not make the final record's tracklist. The album received a four-and-a-half-star review from NME, which praised Rodrigo's growth as a songwriter and composer, calling the record «the most fully realised journey Rodrigo's taken us on» and noting that she was not afraid to «get weirder and more wonderful» in her art.
The release comes as Rodrigo prepares to headline Daisy Chain Fields, a festival featuring performances from Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Garbage, The Breeders, KATSEYE and Santigold, among others. Rodrigo will close the event with a set featuring special guests, and the schedule contains no overlapping performances. Proceeds from the festival will support organisations advocating for women and girls.
Rodrigo will also begin her «Unraveled» world tour in North America next month, before arriving in the UK and Europe in 2027. Ticketmaster recently cancelled tickets acquired by suspected touts for the shows, making them available to fans again at face value.