get him back!

A rap rock, pop rap, pop-punk, and pop rock song exploring Rodrigo's desire to exact revenge on her ex-partner while simultaneously wanting to reconcile with him.

"Get Him Back!" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her second studio album, Guts (2023). Rodrigo wrote the song with its producer, Dan Nigro. EMI Records released it as the album's third single on September 15, 2023. A rap rock, pop rap, pop-punk, and pop rock song, "Get Him Back!" explores Rodrigo's desire to exact revenge on her ex-partner while simultaneously wanting to reconcile with him; the titular phrase conveys this through its double meaning. Music critics described it as a highlight on Guts, praising the humorous lyricism and chorus, and commented on Rodrigo's rapping.

Quick Facts

Artist

Olivia Rodrigo

Album

Guts

Released

15 September 2023

Studio

Amusement (Los Angeles)

Genre

Rap rock
pop rap
pop-punk
pop rock

Length

3:31

Label

Geffen, EMI

Writer

Olivia Rodrigo; Dan Nigro

Lore & Background

The song was inspired by the compulsion Rodrigo felt to conform to people's expectations, which led her to make questionable decisions and date people she should not have. In a studio session for Guts at Electric Lady Studios, Nigro wanted to create a track using just two chords after his father said that the best songs generally possessed three chords. Rodrigo and Nigro wrote a song she was dissatisfied with, which made her doubt her songwriting abilities. After taking a brief recess, they ended up creating "Get Him Back!". Though they used more than two chords in it, Nigro believed that "we failed [...] But we ended up writing something that we really liked with three chords." Rodrigo stated that "Get Him Back!" was very enjoyable to write and became one of her favorite songs. She felt its chorus was catchy and suitable for a crowd to sing along to.

Reader's Guide

Jack Begert directed the music video for "Get Him Back!" entirely on an iPhone 15 Pro Max. It depicts clones of Rodrigo as they destroy her ex-partner's house, throwing around knives and household objects. She performed the song on The Today Show and at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards; the latter was positively received. Rodrigo included it as the last song on the set list of her 2024–2025 concert tour, the Guts World Tour, as part of an encore. The song reached the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom as well as the top 20 in Canada, Greece, Norway, Singapore, and the United States. It received double platinum certifications in Australia and Canada and platinum certifications in Brazil and New Zealand. "Get Him Back!" was featured in the first trailer for the 2024 film adaptation of the 2017 musical Mean Girls, and was also included in the video game Fortnite Festival.

Did You Know?

The song was inspired by a failed attempt to write a song using only two chords, after Dan Nigro's father said the best songs generally possessed three chords.
Rodrigo included the line 'I am my father's daughter, so maybe I can fix him?' as a reference to her father being a therapist.