Olivia Rodrigo releases politically charged song Serena Joy

Olivia Rodrigo has released a new song titled "Serena Joy" on streaming platforms, a politically charged track inspired by the antagonist from Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale. The release, announced on August 24, 2026, comes days after a limited-edition CD sold out at an independent record shop in California and just ahead of her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival.

The song, described as having an urgent, punk-influenced sound, uses the character of Serena Joy Waterford as a lens to examine complicity and the consequences of aligning with oppressive power structures. In Atwood's story, Serena Joy is a key architect of the totalitarian regime Gilead, which strips women of their rights, only to find herself trapped by the very system she helped create. Rodrigo's lyrics reference this arc, with lines like "If they do it to them / They'll do it to you," serving as a warning about the illusion of safety within such systems.

Rodrigo announced the streaming release on Instagram, stating that a portion of all net proceeds from the song will go to the Daisy Chain Fields Fund. According to reports, the fund supports several organizations, including the Center for...