Olivia Rodrigo has officially released her new song “serena joy” to all streaming services, ahead of her new festival, Daisy Chain Fields, which debuts in just a few days on August 29. 

This track was originally cur from the tracklist of Rodrigo’s recent album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and it could first be heard on Friday, August 22 as a CD-only exclusive on the record: Rodrigo quietly pressed only 500 copies and sold them through an independent record store in Tustin, California, where the run of CD’s sold out within hours. Now, “serena joy” is available on all major streaming platforms. 

The song pulls lyrically from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, using its imagery to explore complicity within oppressive systems. Rather than making a straightforward protest song, Rodrigo opts to lean into unsettling, almost cheerful language in an effort to describe looking away from wrongdoing, before landing on a blunt and confident warning to bystanders and enablers alike: silence has consequences, and it eventually comes back around. 

Rodrigo is expected to debut “serena joy” live this Saturday at her new festival, alongside a lineup which includes the likes of Chappell Roan, The Breeders, KATSEYE, Doechii, Bikini Kill, and Mitski, among many more with a schedule that features an attractive prospect for festivalgoers: no overlapping sets. 

The track’s release also lands ahead of Rodrigo’s Unraveled Tour, a sold-out worldwide trek that kicks off September 25th. 

you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, Rodrigo’s third album, arrived June 12th and it’s reception was filled with praise for the artist’s storytelling and growth as a songwriter. “serena joy” is available now on streaming, and you can check it out below.