"Drivers License" (stylized in all lowercase) is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on January 8, 2021, by Geffen and Interscope Records, as the lead single from her debut studio album Sour. She wrote the song alongside producer Dan Nigro. Containing poignant lyrics detailing heartache, "Drivers License" is a pop power ballad blending bedroom pop, alternative pop, indie pop, and power pop styles. It is characterized by a minimalist, piano-led production, incorporating kick drums, harmonies, syncopated hand-claps, and a dreamy bridge. One of 2021's most successful songs, "Drivers License" launched Rodrigo's music career.
The song documents the "multifaceted" emotions Rodrigo endured after a heartbreak. She teased the song on her social media for many months in 2020, before announcing it on January 4, 2021. The official music video was posted to YouTube alongside the song's release, in which Rodrigo drives around a suburban area after receiving her driver's license and reminisces about her memories of the song's subject, who encouraged her to obtain the license. "Drivers License" was met with widespread critical acclaim; praise centered on Rodrigo's cathartic songwriting, emotional vocals, and the song's stirring production, with many underscoring its Taylor Swift and Lorde influences. The song won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 2022 Grammy Awards, where it was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
"Drivers License" broke a string of records, including the Spotify record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song (achieved on its fourth day of release) and the biggest first-week for a song on Spotify and Amazon Music. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and made Rodrigo the youngest artist ever to debut atop the chart. The song spent eight consecutive weeks at number one. It has been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Elsewhere, "Drivers License" reached number one in 25 countries, as well as spending multiple weeks atop the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It also peaked within the top ten in Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa and various others. As of April 2026, the song has over 2.8 billion streams on Spotify, ranking amongst the 100 most streamed songs on the platform.
In 2024, it was listed in Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at 377.
Background and release While American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo starred in the 2019 Disney+ mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, she contributed a self-written song called "All I Want" to the soundtrack, which was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for earning over 500,000 units in the United States. The series was renewed for a second season in 2021. Rodrigo signed to Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Interscope Records, intending to release her debut EP in 2021.
She teased the song for many months in 2020, including some lyrics on Instagram. She posted a snippet, captioned "Wrote dis the other day. vv close to my heart. gonna call it drivers license I think lol", where she plays the song on a piano. The song was announced on January 4. The song was released to all digital music and streaming platforms four days later, alongside a music video on YouTube. It is the lead single to her debut studio album Sour, which Rodrigo had originally planned to be an EP. "Drivers License" impacted US contemporary hit radio on January 19.
Composition and lyrics
Steered by piano, "Drivers License" is an atmospheric pop power ballad that has been described as a bedroom pop, alt-pop, indie pop, and power pop song, with elements of folk and indie rock. It was inspired by the disorienting emotions Rodrigo felt after a recent breakup. She wrote the song with its producer, Daniel Nigro. The song is written in the key of B major and has a fast tempo of 144 beats per minute, with double time kick drum and claps on the second verse and lead-in. Rodrigo's vocal range on the song spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of F5. Lyrically, the song has Rodrigo drive through a suburban area, upset and angry, pondering whether any of the subject's feelings were ever true. The lyrics make prevalent use of personal deixis, with 74% of the song being personal pronouns, to further emphasize Rodrigo's intimate thoughts on the heartbreak.
The song begins with the sound of Rodrigo's mother's car engine starting, followed by a "door ajar" chime that fades into a pulsing piano key. Rodrigo delivers soprano vocals that grow into "cathartic howls of pain" as the song progresses, along with a swelling crescendo followed by an emotional chorus. The minimalist instrumentation also consists of syncopated hand-claps and stomping harmonies, and reaches its peak in a rich bridge of layered vocals with the catchphrase "I still fuckin' love you". As stated by Rodrigo, the song has Lorde and Taylor Swift influences, which was also noted by critics. Rodrigo also stated that the EP Minor (2020) by American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams inspired the musical style of "Drivers License".
In an interview with Vogue magazine, Rodrigo acknowledged the song had grammatical errors, including the lack of an apostrophe ("Drivers License" vs "Driver's License") and the contradictory double negative: "I've never felt this way for no one".
Critical reception "Drivers License" received critical acclaim upon its release. Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic called it "The Breakout Pop Song of the Year". Clash critic Robin Murray dubbed the song a "sensational pop statement, an impeccable melodic moment right from the off". He praised its firm songwriting and atmospheric production. Matthew Kent, writing for The Line of Best Fit, complimented the song's euphoric sound and poignant lyricism, and asserted that the single is packed with "emotional punch after emotional punch". They dubbed the song a "stunning" and "stirring" debut single. Kelsie Gibson of PopSugar opined that the song gives off "major Lorde and Taylor Swift" influences, who are two of Rodrigo's musical inspirations. Stereogum critic Chris DeVille described "Drivers License" as a cinematic and old-fashioned power ballad, a "prime Spotify-core sadgirl fare" that starts "as a trembling Phoebe Bridgers song" and concludes as a "resplendent Folklore track".
Listing it amongst best new music, Teen Vogue's Claire Dodson commented that Rodrigo employs soaring vocals, and capture "small details" in the song. Dodson thought the song channels "the songwriting prowess she already brings to the table". Naming it one of the "10 Cool New Pop Songs to Get You Through The Week", Billboard writers Gab Linsberg and Jason Lipshutz branded "Drivers License" the type of debut single "that aspiring artists dream of", where Rodrigo perfects her heartbreak's "fragility and heightened emotion". They commended the singer's range in the song, swinging between the crescendo's "stomp-clap harmonies" and the bridge's "choked-up balladry". Ellise Shafer of Variety found the song relatable and vulnerable, and complimented its production and vocal performance. Shafer noted it as "a must-hear for any pop enthusiast".
Calling the song an "early contender for song of the year", Rolling Stone critic Brittany Spanos noted that the production of "Drivers License" is reminiscent of Lorde's Melodrama (2017), while the lyrics and "detailed" storytelling channel Swift's Fearless (2008). Spanos lauded Rodrigo's songwriting skills and emotional potency at age 17, and added that "she could likely become pop's next great raconteur". Justin Curto of Vulture opined that "Drivers License" mixes "the intimate arrangements of Folklore and Evermore with the high stakes pop of Lover, tying it all together with a dramatic, Swiftian bridge". He also added that Rodrigo's calm vocals sound like Billie Eilish, while her anthemic moments recall Lorde, with hints of Alessia Cara. Jared Richards of Junkee stated that the song has "an irreducible quality, capturing a very specific heartbreak", blending "the slow-build piano-belters and bridge breakdowns of Lorde's Melodrama with Swiftian songwriting", and regarded it 2021's "Big Pop Moment".
In May 2021, Billboard ranked "Drivers License" third on their ranking of the "100 Greatest Song Bridges of the 21st Century", and in June 2021, they ranked the song as the best song of 2021 so far, with Rania Aniftos calling the song "the start of Rodrigo's reign as pop's most captivating new storyteller".
Insider Inc. named "Drivers License" as "the year's defining hit". Associated Press placed it on their "Top Songs of 2021" list: "Anyone who's ever had their heart broken will feel how 18-year-old Olivia Rodrigo feels on this aching Grammy-nominated hit." Marie Claire placed it on their "The 16 Best Sad Songs of 2021 to Play When You're Feeling Down" list. Vogue Scandinavia placed it on their "12 best songs of 2021" list: "Capturing the essence of an entire generation's perception of youth, anxiety, and teen love — all in a blue and purple tint — Ms Rodrigo set herself on the map as one of the 21st century's most prolific songwriters and storytellers." Digg ranked it at number 10 based on their compilation of 2021 Top 10 best songs lists from different websites and magazines. In 2024, "Drivers License" was placed number 377 in Rolling Stones "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, and number 14 in Billboards list of "75 Best Breakup Songs of All Time".
Accolades + Awards and nominations Year Organization Award Result Ref(s) 2021 American Music Awards Favorite Trending Song Favorite Music Video Favorite Pop Song 2021 Apple Music Awards Song of the Year 2022 APRA Music Awards Most Performed International Work 2021 Asia Pop 40 Top Asia Pop 40 Song of the Year 2022 Grammy Awards Record of the Year Song of the Year Best Pop Solo Performance 2022Joox Malaysia Music Awards Top 5 International Songs 2021 LOS40 Music Awards Best International Song 2021 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Song 2021 MTV Millennial Awards Global Hit of the Year 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Song of the Year Push Performance of the Year 2021 Premios MUSA International Anglo Song 2021 Premios Odeón Foreign Song of the Year 2021 Rockbjörnen Foreign Song of the Year 2021 RTHK International Pop Poll Awards Top Ten International Gold Songs
Commercial performance "Drivers License" was met with widespread commercial success worldwide, with publications calling it the year's biggest hit in early 2021. Upon release, the song reached number one on international Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music songs charts. Billboard reported that, in its first three days in the US, the song sold over 16,000 digital downloads and received more than 21 million streams. Compared to its release day, the song's total streams increased by 122% on its second day, and rose another 32% in its third day.
The song broke the Spotify record for most one-day streams for a non-holiday song, with over 15 million global streams on its fourth day (January 11, 2021). The next day, it extended its record with over 17 million streams. It also broke the record for fastest song to reach 100 million streams on Spotify. "Drivers License" went on to break the Spotify record for most streams of a song in a single week, with over 65 million streams in the week ending January 14, 2021. It also broke the record for the biggest global first-week streams for a song in Amazon Music history, and became the most requested song of a single day on Alexa.