Ooh, Olivia is getting into remixes these days. Earlier this year, Olivia Rodrigo released her impressive third album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. I was vibing with all the singles, but the standout for me was “Expectations,” the loud, neon-infused anthem rooted in ’80s-style dance-pop that arrives toward the end of the record. Now Rodrigo has given “Expectations” the high-energy single treatment, unveiling a remix that drums up a feature from her friend and fellow A-lister Chappell Roan. There’s also a video, starring the pair alongside David Byrne, a veteran of alternative music who clearly 마음 respects Rodrigo.
The new “Expectations” remix isn’t a radical reimagining of the track or anything of that sort. It mostly preserves the original, swapping in a fresh second verse performed by Chappell Roan, who also duets with Rodrigo on the chorus and adds ad-libs as the song closes. (Her line about “not kissing no boy” gets a grin.) But the song itself remains a total banger, and it’s exciting to see it treated with blockbuster-level production several months after its initial release. This marks Rodrigo’s first major remix, and it’s also Roan’s first time appearing as a guest on someone else’s song.
Bardia Zeinali directed the remix’s playfully silly video. David Byrne appears as Johnny Johnson, the host of a retro-style game show lineup inspired by programs like The Dating Game and Family Feud. Rodrigo and Roan both perform the Mariah Carey-esque bit of playing multiple characters, and Dan Nigro, the primary songwriting collaborator for both artists, pops in briefly to supply backup vocals in a “Material Girl”-era vibe.
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan’s histories go back several years. Roan once opened a show on Rodrigo’s first tour in 2022, then provided backing vocals on Rodrigo’s 2023 tracks “Lacy” and “Obsessed.” Roan’s rise to prominence happened right after she opened the first leg of Rodrigo’s Guts Tour in 2023, and she later joined Rodrigo to perform her own song “Hot To Go” later in the tour after her breakout. Earlier this year, Roan played at Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields festival. The “Expectations” remix is Roan’s first new music since she released the studio version of her live favorite “The Subway” last year.
Rodrigo and David Byrne also seem to be on good terms. When she headlined Governors Ball last year, Rodrigo invited Byrne onstage as a surprise guest, and they performed the Talking Heads classic “Burning Down The House” together. Earlier this year, Byrne issued a cover of Rodrigo’s breakout hit “Drivers License.”
To drum up buzz for the remix, Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan sat for a joint Zane Lowe interview. The video interrupts the track several times. Below you can watch the video, the stripped-down audio recording, and a handful of supplementary artifacts.
