The color palette of the video shows an old Hollywood nostalgia and nostalgia for a past period of Rodrigo’s character’s life. The “deja vu” music video analyzes the underlying currents of rage and insecurity beneath that admiration. Often, we are forced to pass off jealousy as admiration in life. Rodrigo uses the trope of stalking a lover’s new girl to explore the societal pressures for women to conform and compare, and to indirectly comment on the taboo against addressing that pressure directly. What makes “deja vu” distinct, however, is its decision never to show the ex-lover in question, turning the absence into a tool to primarily analyze the protagonist’s relationship to herself - her insecurities, her desirability, and so on. She replays a highlight reel of old memories, as she does with “deja vu.” But instead of being in Malibu, she sits in a room’s corner, alone, as a projector displays the melancholy words “you said forever” all over the walls. In the incredibly famous heartbreak ballad “driver’s license,” Rodrigo’s character admits she hasn’t quite moved on from an ex. She reluctantly cheers on an ex’s shiny new post-breakup life, only to end by setting the ex’s house on fire as revenge for a too-quick recovery. In her “good 4 u” music video, we see Rodrigo depict an unrestrained rage as a vengeful cheerleader. For Rodrigo, exploring emotions that may be deemed shameful is essential to her body of work. The power of the music video is acknowledging the ways that this repressed urge gets twisted until it tears away at our own self-image. Rodrigo has discussed how “deja vu” is meant to outline the somewhat taboo feelings of obsession we feel towards the person an ex moves on with. Unsurprisingly, it is a subconscious that has been overtaken by Ryder. Considering the dark room the screens reside in, it almost feels like entering Rodrigo’s character’s subconscious. Others show Ryder’s character replicating the previously cherished moments, sparkling day trips, and romantic ice cream dates. We see Rodrigo’s character next in a room full of screens, which display memories of her relationship with her ex before Ryder’s character came into the picture. As she admires herself, she still sees Ryder’s character in the mirror, standing next to her - unavoidable. Later, she then buys the exact same dress and goes home to try it on in front of her mirror. Rodrigo peers through the window to watch Ryder’s character try on a new dress. When Rodrigo’s character arrives at her destination, it’s Ryder’s house. Rodrigo’s drive overlooking the rocky Malibu beaches is interrupted by what feels like a ghost, as she catches a glimpse of a flickering image of Ryder’s character in the backseat through her rear-view mirror. This coastal paradise is actually the backdrop for a rather eerie story: the protagonist’s (Olivia Rodrigo) stalker-like obsession with her ex’s seemingly perfect new girl (Talia Ryder).Įarly in the video, we see the obsession unfold. It’s the perfect set-up for the music video’s twist. There’s a glossy sheen to the other things we see soon after: the older-edition car driving down the highway, the classy scarf tied around Rodrigo’s head Old Hollywood-style, the ornate pink script that announces the music video’s title. The music video for Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu,” directed by Allie Avital, starts out with a thoroughly scenic landscape: azure blue waves gently lapping up against the Malibu coastline.
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