Olivia Rodrigo Surprise-Drops "Serena Joy," Limited to 500 CDs
Olivia Rodrigo has surprise-released a new song, "Serena Joy," named after the central character in Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel The Handmaid's Tale — a woman who helps build the patriarchal regime of Gilead only to lose her own rights and freedom under the system she helped create. The physical release was limited to 500 CDs, sold exclusively at Analog Record Shop, an independent record store in Tustin, California, which sold out on Friday, August 21. According to NME, a digital and streaming release is expected Monday, August 24, though Rodrigo herself has not confirmed this.
Why a record shop in Tustin?
Analog Record Shop sits about eight miles from Great Park in Irvine, the site of Rodrigo's self-curated festival Daisy Chain Fields, set for Saturday, August 29. In a post on August 21, the shop said it was excited to learn Rodrigo was bringing an all-female-lineup festival to Orange County, and as one of the closest record shops to the venue, wanted to support the event in some way.
The shop also said Rodrigo specified that the physical CD would be sold exclusively there, giving fans a chance to hear the song three days before it reached any other outlet.
An outtake from "You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love"
"Serena Joy" was recorded during sessions for Rodrigo's third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, but didn't make the final tracklist. The album, released in June this year, received four and a half stars from NME, which called it Rodrigo's most fully realized work yet and noted she wrote much of it in the short window following a breakup.
Daisy Chain Fields lineup so far
Daisy Chain Fields takes place Saturday, August 29 at Great Park in Irvine, with Rodrigo headlining and bringing special guests. The schedule is deliberately built with no overlapping set times, and proceeds will go toward organizations advocating for women's and girls' rights. Artists announced so far include:
- Olivia Rodrigo (headliner)
- Chappell Roan
- Doechii
- Mitski
- Bikini Kill
- Garbage
- The Breeders
- KATSEYE
- Santigold
Organizers have not yet released a full lineup.
The Unraveled world tour
Rodrigo's Unraveled world tour launches in North America next month, with UK and European dates following in 2027. Ticketmaster recently cancelled a batch of tickets believed to have been obtained by scalpers and reissued them to fans at original prices.
What we don't know yet
- Whether "Serena Joy" will officially arrive on streaming platforms on August 24 — unconfirmed by Rodrigo
- The full Daisy Chain Fields lineup and set times
- Ticket pricing or on-sale details for Daisy Chain Fields — not stated in the source
- Full date list, pricing, or on-sale info for the Unraveled tour beyond the North America launch and 2027 UK/Europe dates