Olivia Rodrigo fans may have first spotted the title “Serena Joy” in studio photo posted by the artist earlier this year, but it never made it to her third studio album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. Now, it’s officially been released via a limited-edition CD version that could only be purchased at Analog Music Shop, an independent store in Tustin, California. With only 500 copies printed, the CDs sold out fast, but the song will be made available on streaming services come Monday, August 24th, per Consequence.
Serena Joy – Olivia Rodrigo (full song) pic.twitter.com/mzJ2LyFSXH
— chris (@faeridoals) August 21, 2026
The song appears to be named after the character from The Handmaid’s Tale. She served as an antagonist in the book, contributing to the laws oppressing women before those same laws came for her. This theme of unjust systems eventually consuming the complicit seems to be what Rodrigo is getting at in her new anthem. Behind a catchy beat led by guitars, the pop star sings lyrics like “And if you close your eyes/It can’t be your fault” and “If they do it to them/They’ll do it to you.”
Rodrigo was asked about “Serena Joy” after the release of her most recent album in June, and she shared that it ultimately didn’t make the cut because the album was intended to tell a chronological story of a relationship. At the time, she said, “I hope that it’ll be a part of something else down the line.”
Alongside the release of “Serena Joy,” Rodrigo will also host her first-ever music festival. Daisy Chain Fields will hit Irvine, California on August 29th as an all-women festival. Besides Rodrigo, artists such as Mitski, Doechii, Chappell Roan, KATSEYE and several others will join her. The sets are scheduled to be staggered, so attendees won’t have to choose between sets.
Photo Credit: Colin Hancock
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