"The song is sung from the POV of a presumably teenage girl (Rodrigo was 17 when it debuted) who just got her driver's license and is now driving around reminiscing about her ex and all the plans they had made for their future. The song was a huge hit in part because it was an experience people recognized, even if their days of being 17 were far behind them."
"Byrne's arrangement of the song is a departure from the production of Rodrigo's more stripped-back, piano-forward original. The cover features syncopated, hiccuped vocals from a choir during the first verse before widening to support his melody. Byrne kicks up the tempo a bit, giving the recording a kinetic quality reminiscent of his recently reimagined work on the Who Is The Sky? Tour ."
"Byrne and Rodrigo previously performed together at Gov Ball in New York in 2025, where he joined her set to perform "Burning Down The House" with her. Rodrigo shared on Instagram today that there'll be more covers coming "from some of my favorite artists ever" to celebrate the anniversary of her debut album . As for Byrne, his album Who Is The Sky? debuted last September, and he's scheduled to spend the next six months performing across Europe and North America."
Olivia Rodrigo's debut single 'Drivers License' reached major pop success five years after its release, telling the story of a teenager driving and remembering a past relationship. David Byrne recorded a reimagined cover for the song's fifth anniversary that departs from the original's stripped-back, piano-forward production. The cover features syncopated, hiccuped choir vocals in the first verse and a slightly increased tempo that gives the track a kinetic quality linked to Byrne's recent reimagined work on Who Is The Sky? Tour. Byrne and Rodrigo performed together at Gov Ball in 2025. Rodrigo announced additional anniversary covers from artists she admires. Byrne's album Who Is The Sky? debuted last September, and he will tour Europe and North America over the next six months.
Read at Jezebel
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