The song “the grudge” by Olivia Rodrigo is on her second studio album, GUTS, released in 2023. It hit over 300 million streams and is in her top 20 of most streamed songs. The melody in this song is melancholic, while the lyrics express emotional turmoil and betrayal.
“I have nightmares each week bout that Friday in May
One phone call from you and my entire world was changed
Trust that you betrayed,
Confusion that still lingers,
You took everything I loved and crushed it in between your fingers”
These lyrics beautifully illustrate a reoccurring nightmare the singer experiences that rendered them experiencing emotions of betrayal, confusion, and hurt. These lyrics may resonate with many listeners who have experienced having a special person in their lives that they cared about so deeply, and then in a matter of seconds, this person behaves in a way that completely shatters this image once held of them. The only emotions left to feel are confusion as to why this occurred, betrayal as to how someone is capable of doing this to them, and hurt as one would never think someone once cared for so deeply would intentionally hurt others…
