Olivia Rodrigo's 'Serena Joy' Now Streaming Everywhere
Olivia Rodrigo announced on Instagram on August 24 that her new song 'Serena Joy' is now available on major streaming platforms. The track was previously released only as a limited run of 500 CDs, sold exclusively at Analog Record Shop in Tustin, California on Friday, August 21 — and it sold out the same day. Rodrigo said part of the song's net proceeds will go to the Daisy Chain Fields Fund. According to NME, the record shop sits just a few miles from the site of her upcoming Daisy Chain Fields festival.
From 500 CDs to full streaming release
'Serena Joy' initially had no digital footprint at all — the only way to get it was one of those 500 physical CDs. Rodrigo's Instagram post read simply "Surprise!!!", announcing the streaming release alongside the donation details.
The song's title comes from Serena Joy Waterford, a character in Margaret Atwood's 1985 dystopian novel 'The Handmaid's Tale.' Waterford helps build Gilead, a patriarchal and authoritarian regime, only to be stripped of her own rights and freedoms by the system she helped create. The lyrics point at oppressive systems and those who benefit from them, with Rodrigo singing: "If they do it to them, they'll do it to you."
A leftover from her third album
The track 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 was released this past June. NME gave it four and a half stars, calling it Rodrigo's most fully realized work yet — noting she wrote much of it in the short window following a breakup — and praised her for "not being afraid to get weirder, more spectacular."
Daisy Chain Fields and the Unraveled tour
The Daisy Chain Fields festival has announced a partial lineup so far, including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Bikini Kill, Garbage, The Breeders, KATSEYE, and Santigold. The full lineup has not yet been announced. Rodrigo will headline and bring out special guests, and the schedule is deliberately arranged so that no sets overlap. Proceeds will go to organizations advocating for the rights of women and girls.
Separately, Rodrigo's Unraveled world tour launches next month in North America, reaching the UK and Europe in 2027. Ticketmaster has recently canceled tickets suspected of being obtained by scalpers and reissued them to fans at face value.