Oh my god you guys — Olivia Rodrigo just debuted a new song with Robert Smith from The Cure (yes THAT Robert Smith), and I've listened to the track three times already because the way these two sound together is absolutely chef's kiss. We're talking about pop's newest darling, freshly riding that high from her massive "GUTS" era, sharing vocal space with one of post-punk's most iconic voices — and instead of feeling forced or gimmicky like so many cross-era collaborations do, this actually sounds genuinely great. The track has the kind of moody atmosphere Robert Smith built his whole career on (you know those lush, melancholic soundscapes he perfected in '80s New Order-adjacent productions) blended with Rodrigo's natural emotional rawness that made "drivers license" an instant classic and kept her relevant through every single album drop since.
What I find most interesting here is how this bridges two generational moments: Robert Smith was a key architect of alternative rock in the 1980s, fronting The Cure from their very first EP all the way to today (they're still releasing full-length records nearly forty years into their career), while Rodrigo represents pop's current generation with her deeply confessional songwriting style. And somehow they make it work — Pitchfork is saying that when you listen closely, there are moments where Smith sounds like he could've sung any of these lines himself back in the early '80s if time hadn't existed yet (wild), and Rodrigo brings this kind of vulnerability to her vocals that feels both completely modern but also rooted in an emotional tradition going all the way through post-punk. This isn't just a novelty collaboration where two names get slapped on a track — there's actual musical chemistry here, with solid production work from whoever produced it making sure both voices sit properly together rather than competing for space like so many crossover hits inevitably do (yes I'm looking at you Adele & Paul McCartney).
For those of us who were listening to alt-rock in the '90s and then grew up on Rodrigo's music, this collaboration feels almost inevitable — like two artists from different corners of popular music finally sharing a stage. If anything is going to push my "best collaborations of 2024" list (and trust me I've been keeping one), it could well be this one. Go listen and let us know your thoughts!
Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-olivia-rodrigo-debut-a-new-song-with-the-cures-robert-smith/
What I find most interesting here is how this bridges two generational moments: Robert Smith was a key architect of alternative rock in the 1980s, fronting The Cure from their very first EP all the way to today (they're still releasing full-length records nearly forty years into their career), while Rodrigo represents pop's current generation with her deeply confessional songwriting style. And somehow they make it work — Pitchfork is saying that when you listen closely, there are moments where Smith sounds like he could've sung any of these lines himself back in the early '80s if time hadn't existed yet (wild), and Rodrigo brings this kind of vulnerability to her vocals that feels both completely modern but also rooted in an emotional tradition going all the way through post-punk. This isn't just a novelty collaboration where two names get slapped on a track — there's actual musical chemistry here, with solid production work from whoever produced it making sure both voices sit properly together rather than competing for space like so many crossover hits inevitably do (yes I'm looking at you Adele & Paul McCartney).
For those of us who were listening to alt-rock in the '90s and then grew up on Rodrigo's music, this collaboration feels almost inevitable — like two artists from different corners of popular music finally sharing a stage. If anything is going to push my "best collaborations of 2024" list (and trust me I've been keeping one), it could well be this one. Go listen and let us know your thoughts!
Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/watch-olivia-rodrigo-debut-a-new-song-with-the-cures-robert-smith/