Released: 2021
In “Happier” by Olivia Rodrigo, she’s dealing with a fresh breakup. She’s seeing her ex move on with someone new and it stings. Even if she wants him to be happy, she’s wrestling with very human feelings of jealousy and she doesn’t want him to find someone better than her.
The song starts with Olivia setting the scene – she and her ex-boyfriend have been broken up for a month, and he’s already with someone new. This new lady seems to be all that she’s not – sweet, pretty, and able to make him a better person. Olivia admits to the fact that it hurts to see her ex so happy without her. The line “But not like how you were with me” reveals her deep-rooted fear: that he could be happier with someone else.
Not wanting to lose his memories, she starts comparing herself to the new girl, hoping that he still misses her. But she can’t help but notice her rival’s beauty and kindness. This echoes the common post-breakup phase where one obsesses over their ex’s new partner, scrutinizing every detail. Rodrigo confesses that she hopes her ex is happy, but deep down, she doesn’t want him to be happier than he was with her.
The chorus is a mix of self-recognition and longing. She acknowledges she’s being selfish by not wanting her ex to find someone better. But she’s honest about her feelings. We can all agree, it’s tough when you still have feelings for someone and they have moved on.
As the song progresses, she sends him well wishes (“I wish you all the best, really”), but there’s a twist. She hopes he will think of her when he is with his new love. Again, that pang of jealousy surfaces when she says “I hope you’re happy, but don’t be happier”.
All this boils down to the fact that seeing your past lover with a new person is like a kick in the gut. Olivia Rodrigo’s “Happier” gives words to what many of us feel during that time – a tangled mess of bitterness, longing, and the sting of envy. It’s a raw and relatable anthem for anyone who’s ever had to watch an ex move on.
