Olivia Rodrigo reacts to David Byrne's ‘version' of ‘Drivers License'

Olivia Rodrigo is marking a major milestone for one of the songs that changed her life, and she’s doing it with the help of one of her musical heroes. 

Five years after Drivers License first took over the charts, the singer is celebrating its anniversary by sharing a striking new cover from David Byrne, and her reaction says it all.

On Jan. 8, Rodrigo, now 22, revealed Byrne’s reimagined version of the song and reflected on what the ballad has meant to her since its release.

The Talking Heads frontman offers a completely fresh take, altering the production and even flipping parts of the lyrics to fit his perspective as a 73-year-old man. 

In his version, Byrne sings, “And you're probably with that blonde boy / The one that always made me doubt / He's so much younger than me / Everything I'm insecure about,” giving the familiar heartbreak a surprising new lens.

Rodrigo shared that Byrne’s cover is just the beginning of a larger project tied to her debut album’s milestone. 

“SOUR is turning 5 years old this year,” she wrote on Instagram, adding that she’s planning a series of reimagined covers from artists she deeply admires. 

She called Byrne’s contribution a dream collaboration, saying, “David is nothing short of a legend and I actually cried when I heard his version of this song.”

The cover is now available to stream, and fans can also purchase a 7-inch vinyl featuring Byrne’s rendition along with a joint performance of Burning Down the House from the 2025 Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. 

Released in January 2021 as the lead single from Sour, Drivers License debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for eight weeks. 

The song went on to earn Rodrigo a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance and multiple MTV Video Music Awards.

In a separate post, Rodrigo looked back on photos from the song’s release and reflected on how much has changed. 

“this song has totally changed my life in ways I still can’t totally wrap my head around,” she wrote. “I’m forever grateful for this magical chapter… happy birthday DL.”