Released: 2021
With “good 4 u,” Olivia Rodrigo serves a stinging slice of post-breakup angst. This tune is drowning in a sea of sarcasm, bitterness, and a sprinkle of self-pity as Rodrigo voices the feelings of betrayal and heartbreak that come when a former flame seems to have moved on too fast.
The song kicks off with Rodrigo throwing sarcastic compliments at her ex: “Well, good for you, I guess you moved on really easily.” This repeated phrase holds the bitter sting of an ego bruised by rejection. It’s a tongue-in-cheek way of saying she’s far from thrilled about how quickly her ex has found a new love interest.
Rodrigo digs deeper into her tumultuous emotions in the following lines: “I’ve lost my mind, I’ve spent the night crying on the floor of my bathroom.” Here, she lays bare the painful reality of her emotional state, presenting a candid contrast to her ex’s seeming indifference: “But you’re so unaffected, I really don’t get it.”
She then takes a jab in “Maybe I’m too emotional / But your apathy is like a wound in salt.” It’s a raw admission of her suffering and a critique of her ex’s lack of empathy. The image of rubbing salt into a wound paints a vivid picture of the pain she’s enduring.
The end lines “Well, good for you, I guess you moved on really easily” circle back to the song’s start, accentuating this vicious cycle of heartbreak she’s trapped in. It highlights that sarcastic acceptance that’s often a defensive response during such times.
So in a nutshell, “good 4 u” is a searing exploration of post-breakup bitterness where Rodrigo, backed by punchy pop-rock, pours out her bruised feelings and lashes out at her seemingly unscathed ex.
