"Traitor"
Single by Olivia Rodrigo
from the album Sour
ReleasedAugust 10, 2021 (2021-08-10)
Recorded2020
StudioAmusement (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length3:49
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Dan Nigro
Olivia Rodrigo singles chronology
"Good 4 U"
(2021)		 "Traitor"
(2021)		 "Brutal"
(2021)
Music video
"Traitor" on YouTube

"Traitor" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It was released to US mainstream radio on August 10, 2021, through Geffen Records, as the fourth single from Rodrigo's debut album, Sour (2021). An indie pop and guitar-rock ballad, the song was written by Rodrigo and Dan Nigro, and produced by the latter.

Before it was promoted as a single, upon Sour's release, "Traitor" became a fan-favorite and achieved commercial success. Music critics praised the song for its vocals and lyrics, and picked it as an album highlight. "Traitor" arrived at number nine in the United States, number five in the United Kingdom, and peaked within the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Portugal. The song was also certified platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the United States. The song received its debut performance in Rodrigo's YouTube concert film Sour Prom (2021) That was featured in her official channel.

Background and release

Following the minor success of "All I Want" (2019), American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo signed with Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Interscope Records, intending to release her debut extended play in 2021. After the widespread success of Rodrigo's debut single "Drivers License", released on January 8, 2021, she decided she wanted to make a full-length studio album instead.[1][2]

Alongside the release of her second single "Deja Vu" on April 1, 2021, Rodrigo announced that her debut studio album, under the placeholder title *O*R, would be released on May 21.[3] On April 13, Rodrigo announced the cover art and announced the title of her debut studio album Sour. Together with the announcement, the track listing was announced, and "Traitor" was revealed to appear as track two on Sour.[4] The song was released with a lyric video alongside the album on May 21, 2021.[5]

"Traitor" was sent to US contemporary hit radio on August 10, 2021, as the fourth single from Sour.[6]

Composition

"Traitor" is an indie pop and guitar-rock ballad.[7][8][9] The song has been rumored to be about American actor and singer Joshua Bassett, who co-starred with Rodrigo in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.[10] Lyrically, the song is about "feeling betrayed when you see your ex stepping into a new relationship while you're still reeling from your separation", as she whispers the lyrics "Guess you didn't cheat but you're still a traitor".[11]

"Traitor" features a cinematic rise and fall of acoustics and a layering of harmonies.[12] Musically, the song is set in the key of E♭ major, and has a moderately slow tempo of 50 beats per minute. The song is set in 6
8 time, and Rodrigo's vocals in the song span from B♭3 to A♭5.[13]

Critical reception

The song received acclaim from music critics. P. Claire Dodson, writing for Teen Vogue, called "Traitor" "flawless", and remarked that the song had a "Kacey Musgraves-esquenlight-folk backdrop".[14] Tatiana Tenreyro of The A.V. Club called the song "[Rodrigo's] most vulnerable song yet".[9] NME's Rhian Daly described the song as "gorgeous".[11] Larisha Paul from Billboard praised the song, deeming it to feature Rodrigo's "best vocal performance" throughout Sour.[12] As the song is sandwiched between two emotionally heavy tracks with heavy production, Larisha Paul of Billboard called the song a "chilling contrast" that features Rodrigo's best vocal performance on the album.[12] Rolling Stone's Angie Martoccio also called the song as the "long-lost cousin" of Taylor Swift's 2020 song, "My Tears Ricochet".[4]

Commercial performance

In the US, before it was promoted as a single, "Traitor" debuted and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 upon the album's release, charting alongside "Good 4 U" and "Deja Vu" in the top 10 of the chart.[15] Billboard underscored how "Traitor" accumulated impressive sales and streaming units for an album track. "Traitor" also reached number 3 on Billboard Streaming Songs chart, distinguishing Rodrigo as the first artist in history to claim all of the top three on the chart for consecutive weeks. Commenting on the song's critical and commercial success, Rodrigo said "I wrote it on my bed while I was crying. I never really thought that it was going to be a song that resonated with so many people. I thought that it was a very specific situation that I was going through, and it's so funny that that's the non-single song that's the most successful. So many people have been like, 'How did you know? This is exactly what happened to me!'".[16]

The song landed at number seven on the UK Singles Chart,[17] before rising and peaking at number five the following week.[18] On Billboard's Global 200 chart, the song peaked at number seven.[19] "Traitor" also charted within the top 10 in Australia,[20] Canada,[21] Ireland,[22] and New Zealand,[23] and within the top 20 in Norway.[24] Additionally, the song was certified platinum in the United Kingdom[25] and New Zealand,[26] and quadruple platinum in Australia,[27] Canada,[28] and the United States.[29]

Live performances

"Traitor" received its debut performance on June 26, 2021, as part of the release of Rodrigo's concert film Sour Prom.[30][31] Later, she performed the song at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 17–18, 2021, in Las Vegas, Austin City Limits on October 2, 2021, as well as on Jimmy Kimmel Live and at the 2021 American Music Awards. An acoustic performance was featured on Rodrigo's documentary film Driving Home 2 U: A Sour Film, released on March 25, 2022, on Disney+. Olivia also performed "traitor" which was featured in her Tiny Desk Performance on the NPR Music YouTube channel on December 7, 2021. "Traitor" and was also featured for Dolby Atmos where she "experienced" the song in Dolby Audio. She performed this song on her SOUR Tour, where it was usually sandwiched between “Favorite Crime” and “Deja Vu”.

Music video

A music video for "Traitor", directed by Olivia Bee, was released on October 21, 2021.[32][33] She promoted the video on Instagram with the caption "surprise! traitor mv out now!"

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Sour.[34]

Recording

  • Recorded at Amusement Studios (Los Angeles)
  • Mixed at SOTA Studios (Los Angeles)
  • Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)

Personnel

  • Olivia Rodrigo – vocals, backing vocals, songwriting
  • Dan Nigro – songwriting, production, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, piano, drum programming, Juno 60, B3 organ, backing vocals
  • Ryan Linvill – bass guitar, drum programming, synthesizer
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Mitch McCarthy – mixing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Traitor"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[27] 4× Platinum 280,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[69] Gold 20,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[28] 4× Platinum 320,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[70] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[71] Gold 100,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[72] Gold 50,000‡
Mexico (AMPROFON)[73] Diamond+2× Platinum 980,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[26] Platinum 30,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[74] Platinum 60,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[75] Platinum 50,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[76] 2× Platinum 20,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[77] Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[78] Platinum 985,000[79]
United States (RIAA)[29] 4× Platinum 4,000,000‡
Streaming
Greece (IFPI Greece)[80] Gold 1,000,000†
Sweden (GLF)[81] Gold 4,000,000†

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Traitor"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States June 22, 2021[lower-alpha 1] [82]
August 10, 2021 Contemporary hit radio [6][83]
Italy December 17, 2021 Radio airplay Universal [84]

Footnotes

References

  1. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo: 33 facts about the Drivers License singer you need to know". PopBuzz. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (January 19, 2021). "How Olivia Rodrigo Turned a 'Really Painful Moment' Into a Phenomenon". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ Fuamoli, Sose (April 6, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'f*cked around and made an album'". Triple J. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Martoccio, Angie (April 13, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Details Debut Album 'Sour,' Reveals Tracklist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  5. ↑ Rodrigo, Olivia (May 21, 2021). "traitor (Lyric Video)". YouTube. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Top 40/M Cool New Music". All Access. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  7. ↑ Gigwise Staff (June 21, 2021). "The Best Albums of 2021 So Far | Gigwise". Gigwise. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  8. ↑ DeLuca, Dan (June 4, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour' marks the arrival of a singer-songwriter to watch". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Tenreyro, Tatiana (May 21, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR is so much more than a breakup album". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  10. ↑ Prance, Sam (May 21, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo fans think her Traitor lyrics call out Joshua Bassett for betraying her". PopBuzz. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Daly, Rhian (May 21, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo – 'Sour' review: breakout star channels '90s alt-rock". NME. Archived from the original on May 21, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Paul, Larisha (May 21, 2021). "Every Song Ranked on Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ Rodrigo, Olivia; Nigro, Daniel (May 21, 2021). "traitor by Olivia Rodrigo". Musicnotes.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  14. ↑ Dodson, P. Claire (May 25, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo 'Sour' Album Review: It's Brutal Out Here". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  15. ↑ Trust, Gary (June 1, 2021). "Smooth Start: BTS' 'Butter' Blasts In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  16. ↑ Mamo, Heran (August 11, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Was Surprised By Fans' Reactions to the 'Most Successful' Non-Single of 'Sour'". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  18. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Global 200 Chart". Billboard. June 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  20. 1 2 "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Billboard Canadian Hot 100 Chart: June 5, 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  22. 1 2 "Irish-charts.com – Discography Olivia Rodrigo". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  23. 1 2 "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  24. 1 2 "Discography Olivia Rodrigo". Topplista. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  25. ↑ @brits (July 16, 2021). "✨ Taken from her debut album 'SOUR', @Olivia_Rodrigo's 'Traitor' is now #BRITcertified Silver! 💿" (Tweet). Retrieved July 18, 2021 – via Twitter.
  26. 1 2 "New Zealand single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  27. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  28. 1 2 "Canadian single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Music Canada. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "American single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  30. ↑ Billboard Staff (June 30, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Debuts Her Dreamy 'Sour Prom' Concert Film". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  31. ↑ Delgado, Sara (June 30, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Performed "Traitor" for the First Time at 'Sour' Prom". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  32. ↑ Martoccio, Angie (October 21, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Takes a Swim, Thinks You're Still a 'Traitor' in New Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  33. ↑ Doria, Matt (October 22, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo mourns a backstabbing ex in new music video for 'Traitor'". NME. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  34. ↑ Sour (liner notes). Olivia Rodrigo. Geffen Records. 2021. 00602438077441.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  36. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  37. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202122 into search. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  38. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Tracklisten. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  40. ↑ "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  42. ↑ "Indonesia Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 16, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  43. ↑ "2021 23-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. June 11, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Top 20 Most Streamed International +Domestic Songs Week 29 (16/07/2021-22/07/2021)". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  46. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  47. ↑ "RIAS Top Charts". Recording Industry Association Singapore. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  48. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202122 into search. Retrieved September 7, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100: 20/08/2021 to 26/08/2021". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  50. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  51. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Singles Top 100. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  54. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  55. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  56. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  57. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
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  62. ↑ Griffiths, George (January 9, 2022). "Ireland's official biggest songs of 2021". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  63. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2021". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  64. ↑ "Top 1000 Singles + EPs Digitais: Semanas 01 a 52 de 2021" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
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  66. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  67. ↑ "Pop Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
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  69. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2022". Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  70. ↑ "Danish single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  71. ↑ "French single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  72. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  73. ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved July 5, 2023. Type Olivia Rodrigo in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Traitor in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  74. ↑ "Norwegian single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  75. ↑ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2022 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  76. ↑ "Portuguese single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  77. ↑ "Spanish single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  78. ↑ "British single certifications – Olivia Rodrigo – Traitor". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  79. ↑ Griffiths, George (July 4, 2023). "Olivia Rodrigo's Official Top 10 biggest songs in the UK". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  80. ↑ "IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Εβδομάδα: 49/2021" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  81. ↑ "Sverigetopplistan – Olivia Rodrigo" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  82. ↑ "Top 40/M Cool New Music". All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2022. Type Olivia Rodrigo in the Search field.
  83. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo's #1-2 Punch On Mediabase Top 40 Chart". All Access. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  84. ↑ "OLIVIA RODRIGO "traitor" | (Radio Date: 17/12/2021)".
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