Olivia Rodrigo has released a new remix of her hit song Expectations featuring Chappell Roan, a collaboration both singers say grew out of a friendship that goes back several years.
The two spoke to Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s New Music Daily Radio with Zane Lowe to mark the release. They talked about how Rodrigo first wrote the song as a personal mantra, how the new second verse came together, and the music video, which includes a cameo from David Byrne.
Rodrigo said that from the start, she meant Expectations to work differently from much of her earlier writing. She also said Roan had been an influence on the song well before she agreed to feature on it.
A song written as a mantra
“When I wrote Expectations, initially, it was kind of like as a challenge to myself. I wanted to write a mantra song. I felt lots of my songs were like, “This is how I feel, blah, blah, blah,” But I wanted to be like, “I want to sing this song every night.” It’s like Kendrick Lamar, “Sit down, be humble,” it gets in your brain. You know what I mean? It’s a mantra,” Rodrigo said.
She said Roan’s influence was there from the beginning. “And so when I made the song, honestly, I was really inspired by Chappell and the attitude and swagger that she had. I think I probably played it for you while we were in the middle of making the record too. And it always felt sort of inspired by you and your songwriting style. So yeah, I was so stoked when she agreed to be on it. It was a dream come true.”
Roan’s first feature
For Roan, the remix is her first appearance as a featured artiste.
“This is obviously my first feature. I’ve never done this before, so it feels perfect to me. I don’t know. I feel like it represents a generation of songwriters that are just really thinking about their lyrics,” she said.
Roan said the song’s subject drew her in. “I felt like with this song, I was like, “Wow, it’s so cool that she is putting a pretty difficult concept within the pop song,” which is my favourite pop songs ever. But it felt so natural to settle in because I was like, “This is so real. To have expectations of people is so valid.””
She said, though, that the second verse is not autobiographical. “But as for the verse about being set up and stuff, I mean, that was made up. Most of my song is more like a fantasy.”
Rodrigo remembered the studio session where the two worked on that verse.
“I have a vivid memory of being in the studio with you, Chappell, and we were trying to write the second verse and I was telling you all of the crazy stuff that boys have done to me and you were like, “Oh my God, you need to start dating girls. This is crazy.” I know. It’s wild. It’s wild out here,” she said.
Roan said the verse brings queerness into the song, and she credited Rodrigo for welcoming it.
“It’s just cool to have a queerness. I don’t know. I don’t know if everyone would be down to have a fully queer verse on their song. I think that that says a lot about your support for queerness, but also besides girl pop star vibes. It feels very feminist to me, but that is so you,” Roan said.
David Byrne on set
The music video for the remix features several special guests, including David Byrne. Rodrigo said she was nervous about asking him to appear.
“It was so cool. Honestly, I was in shock the whole time. I asked him to do a cameo and I was a little bit sheepish obviously because I always feel shy asking people for favors, but he was so down,” she said.
She said Byrne stayed on set all day and created a character of his own. “He showed up the entire day. He had a character that he had built out and he made this Johnny Johnson character. There’s so many outtakes we have of him just improvising and riffing and he was so into it. And I was like, “Gosh, David, maybe he should be an actor too one of these days. He’s very multi-talented.”
Both singers said their friendship has helped them cope with the pressures of fame. Roan has previously opened for Rodrigo on tour.
“I think that it’s so important to have friends who are in this position.
It’s such a rare position to be in, and to find people who can be grounded in it is very rare, but I feel like having Olivia as a friend has been so grounding for me,” Roan said.
“To be able to do art with her is so cool. I mean, opening for her was so amazing, but to have a song with her is just very full circle and feels wholesome and real. It’s so natural to me.”
Rodrigo agreed. “I agree. I know. I feel so lucky to have Chappell in my life. I mean, over the course of the years we’ve known each other, I think she’s helped me so much. I think this is an insane industry to navigate and such a weird way to grow up, and so I think having her as a resource and a support system and confidant has been insanely helpful. So yeah, now we have a song together that’s like the cherry on top.” Roan said she had stepped back from releasing music over the past year, and that working on the remix reminded her how much she enjoys performing.
“I was like, “Oh, being a pop star is fun actually.” I felt really good. I mean, I just love dressing up and causing a scene, but I have been very much off this past year. I haven’t released a song since “The Subway” last year,” she said.
She said she slipped back into the role more easily than she had expected. “I was surprised how easily I just settled into pop star mode. I was like, “Oh yeah, I’m going to be in glam for five hours and that’s normal and I will be fine.” But I just was so appreciative that I get to do this.”
Roan said the experience has made her keen to get back to it. “And to just make songs that are about… We just get to bounce around on stage in hot little outfits and sing about love. It is our vibe and it makes me excited to get back into it, which we’re getting. But this was a good little fresh refresher to be like, “Yes, I actually am good at this and I can do this. Don’t forget that.”