Breaking down Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ music video

Aize Hassan, Photography Editor

 Olivia Rodrigo has already been a hit amongst Generation Z with only three singles out. Recently, she released her third single “Good 4 U” in a music video on May 14.

   The song took many by surprise as it departed from the sound of her past two songs, which took a slower and more emotional route. “Good 4 U” on the other hand, was a fast-paced, angsty song, reminiscent of Paramore’s old music. In fact, many people have compared its chorus to Paramore’s hit song “Misery Business.”

   The overall message of the song was to highlight an ex-boyfriend moving on far too quickly after ending their relationship. The song embodied an early-2000’s pop-punk sound to deliver the meaning.

    Reminiscent of the early-2000’s sound, the music video made sure to capture the time period as well. Most of the video was supposed to be a big homage to “Jennifer’s Body,” a cult classic horror film, starring Meghan Fox.

   The film’s premise revolves around Jennifer, a popular cheerleader who turns into a flesh-eating demon, determined to get revenge on her male classmates. 

   The music video paralleled the movie as Rodrigo was styled as a cheerleader, much like Jennifer’s character. Not only that, but she also wore long gloves throughout the video like Jennifer did at the end of the film.

   Due to her talents as an actress, Rodrigo was able to portray the lifeless expression of Jennifer after she became a demon, bumping into shoulders without feeling any remorse. This worked alongside the song’s message to represent the ex-boyfriend the song was about and his lack of a reaction or empathy.

   The most obvious parallel, which tied together the entire reference to the film was at the end of the music video. It was a recreation of a scene from “Jennifer’s Body,” with Rodrigo swimming off in a lake with demonic eyes.

   The video also paralleled another cult classic called “Audition.” The Japanese horror film about a woman auditioning to become a man’s wife features a scene in which the main character sits in the middle of a room, wearing all white. The “Good 4 U” music video started off immediately recreating that exact scene.

   All the horror films the music video referenced solidified the themes of revenge that the video was meant to capture.

   This single is just a small part of Rodrigo’s ambitious plans for this year. Her debut album “SOUR” is set to be released May 21 on all streaming platforms.