​jealousy, jealousy

Olivia Rodrigo embarks on a candid, self-reflective journey in 'jealousy, jealousy,' revealing a battle with personal insecurities that resonates deeply within the social media age. From the outset, with 'I kinda wanna throw my phone across the room,' we sense her immediate frustration with the unrealistic portrayals of life she encounters online. As she compares herself to the 'girls too good to be true,' there's that jarring realization that social media’s filtered perfection is a tough, cruel mirror.

Her emotional journey intensifies as she acknowledges the knowledge that another’s beauty isn't a measurement of her self-worth, yet emotionally, 'it feels like that weight is on my back.' This contradiction between understanding and feeling embodies the struggle many face: intellectually rejecting social comparison while emotionally succumbing to it. Throughout the pre-chorus and chorus, there's a palpable sense of self-awareness coupled with helplessness. She knows 'comparison is killin’ me slowly,' recognizing the toxic cycle of seeking validation and perfection in a digital space where endless scrolling brings endless discontent.

In 'I'm happy for them, but then again, I’m not,' Olivia Rodrigo encapsulates a human paradox - we can feel genuine happiness for others' successes while also experiencing a hollow envy that gnaws at our sense of satisfaction with our lives. This part of the journey is particularly painful because it challenges our self-conception as supportive and positive individuals.

The bridge of the song heightens the emotional stakes as Rodrigo lists attributes of the envied peers—cool friends, a nice car, perfect relationships—which exacerbates her longing to be someone else. 'I wanna be you so bad and I don't even know you' exposes the crux of the dilemma, the fact that the jealousy is not even necessarily personal but projected onto any and all representations of success and happiness online.