Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’-Inspired Song ‘Serena Joy’ Is Now on Streaming After Record Store Release
It comes ahead of the pop star's Daisy Chain Fields festival in Irvine, Calif.
Olivia Rodrigo has dropped a socially conscious new song ahead of her upcoming Daisy Chain Fields festival.
On Friday (Aug. 21), the 23-year-old singer-songwriter surprise-released her new song “Serena Joy” as a limited-edition CD available exclusively at Analog Music Shop in Tustin, Calif. The store is located about eight miles from Irvine’s Great Park, where Daisy Chain Fields will take place on Aug. 29.
Three days afterward, she unleashed “Serena Joy” on streaming services, something she announced on social media by posting a photo of the lyrics and writing, “I love this song so much!!!!”
A portion of the net proceeds from “Serena Joy” — which takes its name from a character on The Handmaid’s Tale – will go toward Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields fund, building on the festival’s mission to support charities championing women and girls. Featuring a lineup of all women, the two-time Grammy winner is set to headline the inaugural event following performances from Chappell Roan, Garbage, Doechii, The Breeders, Mitski, Bikini Kill, KATSEYE and more. Karen O, Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks are also billed as “special guests.”
“When we heard that Olivia Rodrigo was bringing an all-women music festival to Orange County, we were honestly just excited to see something this special happening right here in our hometown,” Analog Music Shop wrote on Instagram Friday, adding that Rodrigo had supplied the record store with 500 copies of the track. “As one of the closest record stores in the area, we wanted to find a way to support Daisy Chain Fields.”
The store said it was especially grateful to have been chosen to exclusively sell physical copies of “Serena Joy” three days before the song’s wider release, noting Rodrigo’s history of supporting independent record stores.
“More than anything, we’re grateful for what this represents: An artist building a stage for women in music and raising funds for women and girls,” the shop wrote. “An artist willing to support a local independent record store. And a hometown getting to be part of something really special. That means a lot to us.”
Before the day had ended, Analog shared another post announcing that all copies of “Serena Joy” had sold out.
Rodrigo originally recorded “Serena Joy” for her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in June. It ultimately didn’t make it onto the final tracklist, which features Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Drop Dead” as well as top 10 hits “The Cure” and “Stupid Song.”
“I actually really love [‘Serena Joy’]. It didn’t fit on the album,” Rodrigo told Etalk in July. “The record was very much a chronicle of a relationship — beginning, middle and end. But I hope that it’ll be a part of something else down the line.”
Listen to “Serena Joy” below.
