drivers license

Lore & Background

The song documents the "multifaceted" emotions Rodrigo endured after a heartbreak. She announced the song on January 4, 2021, and released it on January 8, 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" 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 at number one with a debut single, spending eight consecutive weeks at number one. It has been certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Elsewhere, it 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. As of 2024, the song has over 1.8–2 billion streams on Spotify, ranking amongst the most streamed songs on the platform. In 2024, it was listed in *Rolling Stone*'s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list at 377.

In Their Own Story

When I came up with 'Drivers License', I was going through a heartbreak that was so confusing to me, so multifaceted. Putting all those feelings into a song made everything seem so much simpler and clearer—and at the end of the day, I think that's the whole purpose of songwriting. There’s nothing like sitting at the piano in my bedroom and writing a really sad song. It’s truly my favorite thing in the world. 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".

Reader's Guide

The narrative arc begins with quiet introspection before swelling into overwhelming emotion. The composition starts with sparse piano chords, allowing the vocals to carry the weight of the story alone. As the verses progress, drums and bass enter, building tension that mirrors rising distress until a powerful rock-infused climax releases the pent-up sorrow. The accompanying visual narrative places the protagonist in various driving scenarios, often alone or surrounded by empty streets. Scenes shift between present-day solitude and fragmented memories of happier times, using lighting changes to distinguish reality from recollection. The video emphasizes isolation, focusing on close-ups of hands gripping the wheel and eyes reflecting streetlights. Musically, it blends traditional singer-songwriter intimacy with modern production techniques. This hybrid approach allows the track to feel both timeless and contemporary, bridging generational gaps in musical taste while maintaining an authentic emotional core.

Did You Know?

• The song was written in the key of A♭ 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.
• 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.
• 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
• 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.