How Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License Works & Why It's Amazing

0:00 Intro
0:41 Car Sounds
2:11 Falsetto & Whisperpop
4:30 Sharp Four (Lydian) Phrase
5:20 Mi Re Do
6:12 Chorus?
6:57 The Bridge is the Chorus
7:56 Universal Taunting Melody
11:38 Diatonic vs. Pentatonic
12:55 Recovery
13:30 Unresolved Final Chord

Why is Drivers License such a big, record-breaking hit? Well, I think it captures an emotion perfectly through the craft of music. Here I use music theory for an analysis of what makes this song tick and won't seem to leave us alone. This is How Olivia Rodrigo's Drivers License works...musically, that is.

Additional writing, voiceover narration, and sung vocals by Annika Hoseth
Co-produced by Monica M. Lee

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Rick Beato listens to Top 10 Songs (incl. Drivers License)

NY Times Diary of a Song - Drivers License

SNL - Drivers License

Olivia Rodrigo - Drivers License

Tonight Show - Drivers License

Leonard Bernstein - The Unanswered Question Lecture "Phonology"

Images from Pixabay and Pexels
Copyrighted music used in compliance with fair use

This video is a labor of love, so I'd love to hear from you. Please like, follow, and comment at me!

#OliviaRodrigo #DriversLicense #HowardHo

[robinhahnsopran]

Hi! Voice teacher here. I've also noticed the impact of this song actually affecting how my young teen students want to sing, too - particularly the teen girls. A lot of teen girls come to me after a young lifetime filled with being told to be quiet, and even to shut up; further, most voice students have been told at least once something like "don't quit your day job" or "good thing you want to be a lawyer" or something, in response to their singing. This is always done in good fun, because we as a society accept that people are "bad" singers until they suddenly develop skills enough to be deemed "good", but I find it can permanently negatively affect the self-esteem of young singers. What this does to teen girls in particular who come to me to start lessons is that it makes them think that the best version of their voice is a quiet one - falsetto, or even whisper-singing. So before I spend much time at all teaching them technique, I spend time instead teaching them it's okay to be loud, that it's okay to take up sonic space, and that their whole voice is something the whole world wants to hear. Start from the most supported version of your sound as the baseline, and then do effects from there.

This has been harder with the rise of whisper singing. But the few students I've met since the mega-explosion of this song, however, have heard Olivia shift from whisper-singing to belting mid-performance - making it a choice. This isn't to say whisper-singing is inherently bad - of course it's not, it's highly effective, as you so clearly point out! - and some of my students use it when they perform, but Olivia demonstrates in this single song alone what it should be, in relation to a young, developing voice: a conscious choice, an effect to make a performance hit harder, and not the default.

Tl;dr Drivers License has made some of my beginner students sing better, on top of everything else it does. Which is just... wicked cool.

[minikipp]

i really enjoy learning about this when no one is telling me to lol

[katherinelynch]

This is a new favorite “reasons drivers license slaps” videos, and I am a connoisseur of “reasons drivers license slaps” videos

[ajrafael]

Love this. Such a great analysis of an amazing song and Olivia’s vocal performance.

[annarose]

It's really cool listening to analytical videos from Howard, is being able to pick up musical themes when we hear it. In Starkid's latest project, Nerdy Prudes Must Die, in the villain song The Summoning, I was able to immediately pick up on the taunting melody that Jeff Blim used. Was able to hear that when The Lord's in Black popped up, and got the symbolism of the choice to use that theme, as a way of showing their childlike glee and how fun it is for them to watch the people of Hatchettfield suffer.

[redkb]

I like watching your videos like I like watching videos explaining chess games from grand masters.

I'm always surprised by the amount of intentional nuance that when put together makes something amazing. Thanks for explaining to people like me!

[afeury]

Don't mind me, just sitting here tearing up at a documentary about a pop song

[davie]

I’m so ready for you to explain why I love this song

[FlorTedesco]

I think that ending is also perfect because it leaves you wanting more so you replay it

[ogaoms]

This is way more interesting than school. Even the string stuff (which I got like D from recently...). I never thought that I might see so much in music, like I do after these videos. Now every note has a meaning, the fact that it's # or not or whatever. This makes me want to write an entire Hamilton-like piece of music LOL

[starpasta]

Love this! Sour is such a great album, and I have listened to it so much. Also, ugh, that clip from Fox and the Hound-how dare you use a Disney film clip that gets me every time!

[ShaharHarshuv]

I really liked the overview on the whisper voice trend and on the taunting theme.
I would also love it if you can make a video about global motives and what they typically mean. Like Mi-Re-Do being a "settling down" motive, or "rising fifths line cliche" is a motive for "danger".
As a musical theatre composer I find these fascinating

[missdancefan]

It's almost official. Every Youtuber I follow has done a video on Drivers license 🙃 Though I'm down for it since I want you to do more videos!

[dannyzhou]

Thanks, Howard, for explaining this piece of music. To me, it is so entertaining and educational. Great work. I really enjoyed it.! Thumbs up! 👍👍

[jasonepstein]

I think a huge part of why whisper pop is booming that you missed:

The relatable situation where you want to practice singing but don’t want others in the house to hear it. (For fear they’ll tell you to stop) so all the singing practice you know is quite good but only quiet.

I think a lot of teens in that time, could sing the whisper type songs easier and therefore vibe with them better. Thus, making them more popular.

[pogeman]

Fun fact on the taunting melody: In Mussorgsky's Tuileries from the Pictures at an Exhibition suite, it heavily features the melody as it represents kids playing with and teasing each other.

[pporro]

"As if saying 'Sometimes in life we don't get that resolution, and life simply goes on'"
Dude, that line definitely punched me in the feels

[ravensplat]

This is an amazing analysis of the song and explains really well what Rodrigo was trying to do and also helps me see the song in a new light. Thanks

[TimTim]

Great breakdown. I've been fascinated by this song ever since I first heard it, wondering why it's so incredibly moving and compelling, and now I understand.

[littlemissmel]

I was doing fine, then you had to pull out that scene from The Fox and The Hound. Why you gotta do me like that?!? Don't mind me, just crying in over in the corner. I really wish music theory had been like this in school, I would have enjoyed it so much more!