Released: 2023
Olivia Rodrigo’s “get him back!” takes us on a rollercoaster ride of a tumultuous relationship, venting her mixed emotions of longing and resentment post-breakup. There’s a swirl of anger, regret, desire for revenge, and vulnerability that truly encapsulates the stormy aftermath of heartbreaks.
Right from the jump, Rodrigo sets the stage by painting a vivid picture of her ex: a tough-to-handle guy with an inflated ego and a wandering eye, but also someone who knew how to have fun. It’s a relationship that made her feel a heady mix of pleasure and pain, culminating in the catchy, bitter-sweet chorus “I wanna get him back”. This phrase, simple yet loaded, is an intricate blend of wanting him back emotionally and simultaneously inflicting the same emotional turmoil on him – a classic case of ‘the sweet is never as sweet without the sour’.
She admits to writing letters she never sends, reminiscing the good times, revealing her emotional whirlwind of longing the sunny side of their relationship. The repeated phrase “I wanna get him back” flips between sounding like a nostalgic yearning and a vengeful plot – the ultimate testament of post-breakup confusion.
In a surprise turn, Rodrigo goes from the internal tug-of-war to a string of retaliations – keying his car, breaking his heart, and telling his mom her son sucks! Don’t we all have that post-breakup, mid-karaoke, let-it-all-out stage? This part is whimsical yet empowering – a testament to the rebellious spirit that sometimes follows a heartbreak. But with each act of imagined revenge, she retorts with “but then I, I want to get him back” – a perfect encapsulation of how, sometimes, moving on isn’t a clean cut.
Lastly comes her self-assertion “I’ll get him, I’ll get him back”. Repeated to a frenzy, it might sound like she’s still caught up in him. Yet maybe, just maybe, she’s reclaiming herself, taking back her power, building resilience. Pop music history tells us these anthems of broken hearts often signal the beginning of a stronger, fierier self. Could it be the same for Rodrigo? One thing’s for sure, her raw honesty and emotional complexity in “get him back!” keeps you hooked until the very end.
