"bad idea, right?" by Olivia Rodrigo // 7" vinyl exclusive from Interscope
"seeing you tonight...it's a bad idea, right?"
"bad idea, right?" may actually be my favorite song by Olivia Rodrigo yet, it's just so addictive to listen to! It was my second most-played song of 2023, so clearly I couldn't get enough of it!
The lyrics to this song are very tongue-and-cheek, written as if it's a conversation between friends, which in a way is what the song actually started as between her and her collaborator Dan Nigro, who produced and co-wrote the song. "Yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect? I only see him as a friend, the biggest lie I ever said, oh, yes, I know that he's my ex, but can't two people reconnect? I only see him as a friend, I just tripped and fell into his bed" she sings in the chorus.
"I wrote it in New York. Me and my friend, Dan, were at Electric Lady Studios, and I was telling him about one of my fun escapades. I sent this guy a text: 'seeing you tonight, it's a bad idea, right?,' and I was, like, 'Ooh, that rhymes.' And so I told Dan about it the next day..." she said in an interview with Rolling Stone. "The refrain started as a joke, he was just making fun of me, he was just going, 'My brain goes, 'Ah'.' And we were like, 'Wait, maybe we're onto something there, maybe there's something in there...' And so we wrote the song 'bad idea, right?,' and I really like it, I think it's kind of funny and tongue-and-cheek, and the music is fun and upbeat and makes me want to dance."
At it's core, GUTS feels so representative of every facet of a young woman's life. This song perfectly depicts her trying to navigate a whirlwind of emotions. So much of her latest album is fun and playful at times, but also deeply vulnerable and honest as well. "bad idea, right" falls more in the fun and playful category and she pulls it off so well! Her up-tempo, pop-punk inspired tracks are absolutely where her talents shine the most throughout her latest album. Her delivery is top-tier and it is really obvious as the listener that she is having the most fun when making and performing songs like that. She has the perfect amount of attitude in her voice to be able to pull off so many of these funny and ironic one-liners. This is a direction I hope she continues to lean into with future releases. It is so catchy and has so many funny lyrics. Her delivery is so perfect too, especially the "....fuck it, it's fine" parts.
This 7" vinyl single was a limited release in November on Interscope's website. It was a part of their first "Singles Day" on 11/11 where they released a ton of new 7" vinyl from many of the label's biggest artists. Urban Outfitters also usually does a similar promotion every year too and I always look forward to seeing what new pressings they come up with. I got a few from Billie Eilish and one from Selena Gomez last year that I will surely share in the future too! I got them as a Christmas gift last year and am so happy to add these singles to my collection! This is the first 7" vinyl single I have from Olivia and it's so fitting that it also happens to be my favorite song by her! I currently own three other records by her, which I love too! I can't wait to keep growing that part of my collection!
It is pressed on a bright red vinyl, which compliments the aesthetic of the music video and the cover for the single release so perfectly. I love the crowd surfing shot they used from the music video for the front and back cover. The purple center label with red kiss marks all over was also such a perfect design choice too! I was definitely inspired by the design of the center label when editing the photos included throughout this post too! 💋
This pressing is so unique because the B side actually features the original voice recording from when Olivia was in the studio writing "bad idea, right". She was still working out the lyrics and melody, so it is such a cool glimpse into her process of making music. It's a very short and rough demo of the first verse and the chorus, with Dan Nigro playing guitar. The lyrics were pretty much the same from what ended up being on the official version, with the order of the lyrics switched up slightly. It wasn't even advertised as having the demo on side B, so it was such a nice surprise when I flipped the record over and played that side for the first time!
GUTS built upon the foundation that her debut album SOUR put into place so well, it is such an authentic depiction of girlhood in all of it's beauty and pain. It was one of my favorite albums of 2023 and "bad idea, right" was my favorite songs of the year too, so I love having this little piece of it in my record collection! The day I'm posting this is also her 21st birthday, so I thought it would be the perfect time to highlight one of my favorite songs by her (so far)! I can't wait to see what comes next for Olivia! 💜
If you are interested in buying a copy of Olivia Rodrigo's music on vinyl* or her official merch*, I would really appreciate if you would do so through my affiliate link*, which I may earn a commission from. GUTS* is one of my personal favorites in my collection and I'm sure it will be for you too!
If you're interested in reading more about Olivia Rodrigo, check out my in-depth review of her sophomore album, GUTS, and the special edition Record Store Day release for GUTS: the secret tracks on vinyl - plus many more to come! I have written about some of my other favorites in my record collection too, which are all linked below if you're interested in reading more!
Thanks for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below!
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