Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ came out two weeks ago and, like nearly everyone else on the planet, I was completely obsessed with it. However, after listening to ‘Drivers License’ on repeat for two weeks, I wanted to find other songs with similar vibes. Below are eight of my favorites:
1. ‘The Other Side of The Door’ by Taylor Swift
Much like Olivia, I’m a major Swiftie. I find this song to be incredibly underrated, but you need to believe me when I say that the last 40 seconds of this song are some of her best work. It may feel a little juvenile, but it’s the perfect high school breakup song. It talks about words left unsaid and missing someone even if you know that you aren’t perfect together. I cannot stress enough how cathartic screaming the ending of this song in your car is.
2. ‘I miss you, I’m sorry’ by Gracie Abrams
The entire minor EP is insanely good and definitely worth a listen. It is what Olivia listened to that fateful day she drove through the suburbs, inspiring ‘Drivers License.’ I picked this track because it has the same sentiment as ‘Drivers License.’ The song focuses on how hard it is when forever didn’t work out as planned, as well as the pain associated with reminiscing on a failed relationship. I think that you can clearly see this EP’s influence on ‘Drivers License’ and that alone makes it worth a listen.
3. ‘Your Best American Girl’ by Mitski
One of my favorite lines in ‘Drivers License’ is “She’s everything I’m insecure about” simply because I find it incredibly relatable. Mitski’s ‘Your Best American Girl’ expresses that feeling in a more mature, poetic way, eventually deciding that even by fundamentally changing who you are and giving up certain parts of yourself, you cannot make someone love you.
4. ‘Places/Plans’ by Skullcrusher
I love Olivia and her rising star and I can’t wait to see what she does next. In ‘Places/Plans,’ Skullcrusher worries about the future and her musical success. ‘Drivers License’ was a major hit, but I can’t imagine what was going through her mind when it was released and if she is worried about how it might be hard to top its success. It’s raw and honest, and while not a direct parallel to ‘Drivers License,’ the spirit is there.
5. ‘Ohio’ by King Princess
I think this is most similar to ‘Drivers License’ musically, as it starts out with just a single instrument before building up to a major bridge. Like Olivia, King Princess wonders what their ex is up to and if they might still miss them. Writing about your first love is hard to do, but both KP and Olivia Rodrigo do it so beautifully and with ease.
6. ‘Dancing On My Own’ by Robyn
‘Dancing On My Own’ is the quintessential breakup song with a dance pop twist. There is truly no worse feeling than seeing the person you love happy with someone else while you’re still wallowing in heartbreak. Robyn captures this emotion perfectly. I love this song so much and even if you don’t listen to any other song on this list, listen to this one, I beg you.
7. ‘Me & My Dog’ by boygenius
boygenius wrote the line “I wanna be emaciated!” specifically for you to scream in your car. This song breaks my heart every time because sometimes you miss someone so much, you wish you could just leave everyone behind, to be in a rocketship with just you, your dog, and an impossible view. Just like Grcaie Abrams, I recommend giving this entire EP a listen on your suburban drive, but if you need somewhere to start, start here.
8. ‘Last Kiss’ by Taylor Swift
Again, I’m a huge Swiftie, so I’m ending this list as Olivia would want me to, with yet another Taylor Swift song. ‘Last Kiss’ is in my top 5 favorite Taylor Swift songs and sometimes I even joke about how I never listen to it because it makes me too sad. Part of an original Disney-sponsored love triangle, Taylor Swift wrote this song about Joe Jonas leaving her for Camilla Belle. She sings about how she doesn’t understand how he cannot miss her and how she hopes it’s “nice where [he] is” (sound familiar?). This song completely explains why Taylor was such an avid supporter of ‘Drivers License,’ as well as how she established herself as the queen of breakup songs way back when.
I hope you give these songs a listen and have fun on your drive through the suburbs!