Favorite Crime

Album: Sour (2021)
Charted: 17 16
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Favorite Crime" is a stripped-down folky song where Olivia Rodrigo looks back at a dysfunctional relationship. She employs various Bonnie and Clyde-type metaphors to illustrate how her ex committed the crime of walking out, leaving her heartbroken.

    And I watched as you fled the scene
    Doe-eyed as you buried me


    She admits to ignoring the glaring red flags that he was taking advantage of her.

    I let you treat me like that
    I was your willing accomplice, honey


    Despite the way the boy treated Rodrigo, she admits she loved him, which is why he was her "favorite crime."
  • Rodrigo wrote the song with her producer, Dan Nigro, in the summer of 2020. The singer had "know I loved you so bad I let you treat me like that" written in her notes app, and it was that line that generated the rest of "Favorite Crime."
  • Rodrigo shared in her Sour Diary "Journal / Zine" that she loves the way this song became one extended metaphor. "Figurative language was something I had to work on in my song writing," she wrote. "I'm a very literal, specific writer and metaphors and similes aren't often where my brain tends to go, so I'm super proud of this song."
  • Dan Nigro played the acoustic guitar, bass and Roland Juno 60 synthesizer. The only other musician on the track is saxophonist Ryan Linville.
  • Rodrigo performed the song live for the first time for Vevo LIFT on May 25, 2021.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

Taylor Dayne

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.

Benny Mardones

Benny MardonesSongwriter Interviews

His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.