Olivia Rodrigo has revealed that Chappell Roan encouraged her to start dating women after hearing about her frustrating experiences with men while the pair worked on the “expectations” remix. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, published on YouTube shortly after the collaboration’s release, Rodrigo shared the candid exchange that unfolded during their songwriting session.
“We were trying to write the second verse and I was telling you all the crazy stuff that boys have done to me and she was like, ‘Oh my god, you need to start dating girls. This is crazy!’ And I’m like, ‘I know, I know. It’s wild out here,’” Olivia Rodrigo recalled.
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The anecdote offers a glimpse into the friendship behind one of pop’s most anticipated collaborations. Rather than simply adding a guest verse, Chappell Roan brings her own romantic frustrations to “expectations,” turning the track into a conversation between two artists whose songwriting often finds humor and sharp observations in the chaos of modern dating.
Originally featured on Olivia Rodrigo’s third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, “expectations” returns in a reworked version built around buoyant synthesizers, handclaps and an unmistakable 1980s-inspired sound. Produced by longtime Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro alongside Mike Wise, the remix retains the original’s dance-punk energy while giving Roan room to tell a story of her own.
In her verse, Roan sings about a woman who ghosts her after a front-row concert date and physical advances, redirecting the song’s frustration toward a different kind of romantic disappointment.
The collaboration also marks Chappell Roan’s first official featured appearance on a Rodrigo song, formalizing a creative relationship that stretches back several years. Roan opened for Rodrigo during a 2022 SOUR Tour date before joining the GUTS World Tour for an extended run in 2024. That August, the two reunited at Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome, where Rodrigo joined Roan for “Hot to Go!” and its now-famous choreography.
Their latest partnership extends beyond the recording studio. The accompanying music video, directed by Bardia Zeinali, casts the singers in The Big Expectations Show, a retro television game show hosted by David Byrne as Johnny Johnson. Vintage styling, exaggerated production and playful competition turn the visual into a fitting extension of the song’s cheeky take on romantic standards.
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