Olivia Rodrigo got her driver’s license last week — give or take five years. It’s been half a decade since the pop star shot to global fame with her debut single, “Drivers License,” and to celebrate, she’s recruited David Byrne for a special celebratory release.
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On Thursday (Jan. 8) — exactly five years after “Drivers License” first arrived in 2021 — Rodrigo announced that the Talking Heads frontman has recorded a cover of the moody pop anthem, which is now available to stream. Byrne’s rendition of the song will also appear on one side of an exclusive 7″ vinyl fans can preorder on Rodrigo’s website. The other side features a live recording of the Gen-Z star and alt-rock icon singing “Burning Down the House” at the former’s 2025 Governor’s Ball set.
The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star was just 17 years old when “Drivers License” debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, making her the youngest artist to ever do so. The track would go on to spend eight weeks at No. 1. Months after the lead single arrived, Rodrigo unleashed her debut album, Sour, which found similar success: The LP was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks.
According to the press release, Byrne’s version of “Drivers License” is just the beginning of a series of artist covers celebrating the anniversary of Sour.
Rodrigo has been teasing the anniversary festivities for the past few days. On Monday (Jan. 5), fans noticed that her website had changed to show a faux driver’s license renewal form, which prompted people to plug in their emails for more information.
The singer has released only one other album since Sour, dropping Billboard 200-topper Guts in 2023. She spent much of 2024 touring in support of the project, but on stage every night, she also led her crowds in a piano sing-along of “Drivers License.” The same went for her Gov Ball set, which fans can now relive with another Target-exclusive five-year celebration vinyl featuring the live and original versions of the track, also available to preorder on Rodrigo’s website.
Listen to David Byrne’s cover of “Drivers License” below:
