So American

2024 song by Olivia Rodrigo

"So American"
Song by Olivia Rodrigo
from the album Guts (Spilled)
ReleasedMarch 22, 2024 (2024-03-22)
Recorded2023
Length2:49
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
  • Olivia Rodrigo
  • Dan Nigro
Producer(s)Dan Nigro
Lyric video
"So American" on YouTube

"So American" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo as a bonus track for the Spilled deluxe edition of her second studio album, Guts (2023). Released on March 22, 2024, as the closing song on the album, "So American" was written by Rodrigo alongside its producer Dan Nigro. An energetic tune, it was labelled as her first love song.

Commercially, "So American" was the highest-charting album track from Guts (Spilled), reaching the top 40 in Ireland and the United Kingdom, while peaking at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song received positive reviews from music critics and Rodrigo performed it in selected dates of her first arena concert tour, the Guts World Tour (2024).

Background and release

Olivia Rodrigo's second studio album, Guts, was released on September 8, 2023 through Geffen Records. Limited-edition vinyl variants sold on Rodrigo's webstore were also released; each one contained one bonus track, including "Obsessed", "Scared of My Guitar", "Stranger", or "Girl I've Always Been".[1] After the album reached number one on the US Billboard 200,[2] Rodrigo started teasing its deluxe edition whilst on her Guts World Tour in early 2024.[3] She announced Guts (Spilled) on March 19, at the Chicago show of the concert tour,[4] and shared its track listing.[5][6] The reissue version of the album included the four vinyl-exclusive songs and an exclusive track, "So American", recorded shortly after the release of the standard album.[7][8] In a statement, the singer expressed her excitement for the song to be released, and declared it was her favorite,[9] adding to the sentence three winking emojis.[10]

Upon release, "So American" became the highest-charting album track from Guts (Spilled). It debuted and peaked at number 58 on the US Billboard Hot 100[11] and at number 52 on the Canadian Hot 100.[12] Outside North America, it reached the top 40 on the Irish Singles Chart and the UK singles chart.[13][14] The song also peaked at number 76 in Australia.[15] Globally, it charted at number 66 on the Billboard Global 200.[16] Rodrigo performed the song at her concert tour starting with the first show in Dublin on April 30, between "Lacy" and "Jealousy, Jealousy", changing its verse's lyrics on every show.[17][18]

Music and lyrics

"So American" is Rodrigo's first love song in her discography,[9] described by NME as "energetic".[19] In the lyrics of the track, she expresses what it feels like to be treated "so well" by someone who is not from the United States, as she sings: "He laughs at all my jokes / And he says I'm so American".[20] She later states that she would marry this person ("Oh God, I'm gonna marry him / If he keeps this shit up").[21] Many publications interpreted "So American" to be about Rodrigo's relationship with English actor Louis Partridge.[a]

Critical reception

Writing for Elle, Alyssa Bailey affirmed that the song provide "a refreshingly optimistic reflection on new love, along with the fear that comes with hoping for a future".[21] Uproxx's Flisadam Pointer described "So American" as "the dewy-eyed love song [Rodrigo] was always meant to make".[22] Capital FM lauded the song for feeling "very cyclical" being the last song on the album in comparison to the first track, titled "All-American Bitch".[23]

Charts

Chart performance for "So American"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[15] 76
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[12] 52
Global 200 (Billboard)[16] 66
Ireland (IRMA)[13] 18
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[24] 10
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 24
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 58

Notes

  1. ^ As discussed by People's Rachel DeSantis,[17] Nylon's Steffanee Wang,[9] Elle's Alyssa Bailey,[21] Uproxx's Flisadam Pointer,[22] and Billboard's Hannah Dailey.[10]

References

  1. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (September 9, 2023). "Olivia Rodrigo Fans Find Four Hidden Tracks on Guts Vinyl Records". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  2. ^ Caulfield, Keith (September 17, 2023). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Guts' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  3. ^ Williams, Kyann-Sian (March 19, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo shares a snippet of unreleased song via her fan hotline". NME. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  4. ^ "Olivia Rodrigo Announces Deluxe GUTS (spilled) Album Mid-Concert". Teen Vogue. March 20, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  5. ^ Bell, Sadie (March 20, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces Deluxe Version of GUTS and Shares the Tracklist". People. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Okazawa, Ben (March 20, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces 'GUTS' Deluxe Album to Arrive This Week". Exclaim. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Blistein, Jon; Legaspi, Althea (March 19, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Will Spill More 'Guts' on New Deluxe Edition". Roling Stone. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  8. ^ Chelosky, Danielle (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo – "So American"". Stereogum. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Wang, Steffanee (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo's "So American" Lyrics Meaning, Explained". Nylon. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Dailey, Hannah (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Says She's 'So Proud' of 'Guts' Deluxe Tracks & Reveals Her Favorite". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Olivia Rodrigo – So American". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  17. ^ a b DeSantis, Rachel (May 1, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Performs 'So American' for the First Time with Sweet Lyric Change amid Louis Partridge Romance". People. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  18. ^ Romero, Andrea (May 11, 2024). "¿Por qué Olivia Rodrigo cambia la letra de 'so american' una y otra vez en sus conciertos?". Los 40 (in Spanish). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  19. ^ Skinner, Tom (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo shares 'Obsessed' video and new song 'So American'". NME. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Willman, Chris (March 21, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Debuts 'Obsessed' Video, Plus Lovestruck New 'So American' Track, as Deluxe 'Guts' Reaches Fans". Variety. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  21. ^ a b c Bailey, Alyssa (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'So American' Lyrics Seem to Be a Love Letter to Her British Boyfriend, Louis Partridge". Elle. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Pointer, Flisadam (March 22, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'So American' From 'Guts (Spilled)' Is The Dewy-Eyed Love Song She Was Always Meant To Make". Uproxx. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  23. ^ "Olivia Rodrigo's 'So American' Lyrics Are So Cute: Her First Love Song Explained". Capital FM. March 21, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  24. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 29, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
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