Olivia Rodrigo's ‘drivers license’ Turns Five as We Look Back at a Pop Culture Earthquake

David Byrne’s Unexpected Interpretation Cementing “drivers license” as a Transcendent Pop Classic

Five years ago today, a 17-year-old Olivia Rodrigo did the impossible: she dropped a debut single, “drivers license,” that didn’t just top the charts—it detonated a pop culture explosion. Now, as the song hits its fifth anniversary, the three-time GRAMMY® winner is celebrating by cementing its legacy with a special release that proves its staying power, featuring a surprising new cover from none other than music icon, David Byrne.

The new take sees the visionary behind Talking Heads offer his unique interpretation of the heartbreak anthem, which is available today across all digital streaming platforms alongside Rodrigo’s original, genre-defining track. For true collectors, the anniversary is also being marked with a special 7” translucent ruby vinyl. The A-side features Byrne’s cover, while the B-side captures a moment of pure musical magic from Rodrigo’s Governors Ball 2025 set: her live performance of the Talking Heads classic “burning down the house,” with Byrne joining her onstage. This collaboration marks the first in a series of covers planned for the fifth anniversary celebration of Rodrigo’s earth-shattering debut album, SOUR.

It’s hard to overstate the impact of “drivers license.” Released on January 8, 2021, the song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Rodrigo the youngest artist in history to achieve the top spot—a record she still holds. The track spent eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 and has since amassed over 4.7 billion combined global streams, achieving 6x Platinum certification. Its status as a modern classic is undeniable: it’s consistently ranked among the top 100 most-streamed songs on Apple Music and sits in the top 10 most-streamed solo female songs in Spotify history. Rolling Stone itself praised the song for how it “successfully balances dark yet crisp melodrama with bold tunefulness.”

The track launched Rodrigo’s career into the stratosphere. It was the lead single off SOUR, which also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was Rolling Stone’s No. 1 Album of 2021. The album’s success translated into GRAMMY wins for Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album for SOUR, and Best Pop Solo Performance for “drivers license.” SOUR remains the first and only album in Spotify history to boast four songs, including “drivers license,” that have each surpassed two billion streams.

Rodrigo’s follow-up, 2023’s GUTS, proved she was no flash in the pan, also debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and solidifying her status as a chart-dominating force. As the GUTS World Tour wrapped up a massive 100 sold-out shows across 64 cities, the fifth anniversary of her initial breakthrough is a powerful reminder of how quickly she reshaped the landscape of pop music.

Meanwhile, the legendary David Byrne continues his creative output, fresh off his critically acclaimed 2025 album Who Is The Sky? and the 2026 Chicago run of his immersive show, Theater of the Mind. For a full-circle moment like this—a veteran statesman of art-pop celebrating a modern pop phenomenon—it’s clear that “drivers license” has officially transcended the playlist and entered the history books.

The digital versions of David Byrne’s cover and Olivia Rodrigo’s original “drivers license” are available now. Pre-orders for the special 7” vinyl are also open today.

Listen to “drivers license” here.