‘all-american bitch’ by Olivia Rodrigo is the Anthemic F*ck You to Asian American Stereotypes We’ve Been Waiting For
Upon listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, GUTS, for the first time, ‘all-american bitch’ was an immediate standout. First, for its jumpy and playful back-and-forth in the production of the verses and choruses, then for its punchy and satirical lyrics that struck me as strikingly, unapologetically Asian American the more I listened.
On its surface, the opening track is a pop-rock-girl-riot anthem about the struggles of being a woman in America. However, in the first few lines, Rodrigo describes feeling like a “mother” and “total machine”–a sly reference to the long history of Asian American women being portrayed as cyborgesque in media yet charmingly subservient and nurturing all while remaining, well, sexy, too? Ex Machina (2015), I’m looking at you.
This line alone unravels the entire song and its meaning to reveal a new, layered context. It’s vital to remember that Rodrigo is, yes, sharing her experiences in girl- and womanhood, but she’s doing so from an intersectional perspective.
Rodrigo’s half-Filipino roots run through the veins of this song and a fair amount of her discography. From the mysterious blonde girl in ‘drivers license’ to her love interest’s prom queen line-up of ex-girlfriends in ‘enough for you,’ the singer is often found lyrically measuring herself up to a Euro-centric idea of beauty.
While songs like ‘jealousy, jealousy’ and ‘pretty isn’t pretty’ express the pop star’s frustration in the game of Who Can Do It Best, ‘all-american bitch’ takes a more explicit approach from a slightly different angle. Its verses are light and dainty while the chorus is a dark, messy, raging burst of energy. The storyline itself is endearing in that its listeners can practically hear the sarcastic smile on Rodrigo’s face as she sings lines like, “I’ve got sun in my motherfuckin’ pocket, best believe.”
Our protagonist is playing into the stereotypes that have shoved Asian American women into a tight box for ages. She’s attentive, caring, and intelligent, while never daring to complain nor speak her mind. We’re the model minority, we’re “machines” that produce only the best work that caters to others’ needs. We have “class and integrity” because we keep silent to prevent from overstepping the limits that have been set by those who permiss us to take up space. As Rodrigo states: “I don’t get angry when I’m pissed / I’m the eternal optimist.”
Simultaneously, we’re fetishized and objectified–always to be deemed sexy, never beautiful. Rodrigo’s narrator has an irresistible factor, noting her “perfect all-American” lips and hips. She really drives this juxtaposition home in the outro as she lays out just how ridiculous these expectations and stereotypes are when they come together: “All the time / I’m grateful all the fucking time / I’m sexy, and I’m kind / I’m pretty when I cry.”
What makes this song hit in exactly the right spot for me is its underlying humor. Profanities are dropped throughout some of its most angelic harmonizations, and that cathartic scream during the bridge’s climax is an earned release of pent-up frustration, but something about it is still inherently shackled in the thralls of femininity as the singer manages to wail in a light and chirpy tone.
So, the irony of Rodrigo detailing just how all-American she is in ‘all-american bitch’ perfectly sets the tone for rest of this album. It’s one of my favorite tracks, and its ability to encapsulate such a particular experience (that of Asian American girlhood) in a way that’s infused with meaning while still resonating with a large and diverse audience is a wonderful demonstration of her abilities as a songwriter.
This is the anthem I’ve been waiting for my whole life, and I can only hope that this song allows for a collection of explicit, raunchy, and rebellious tunes from other Asian American artists in the pop realm moving forward. Well, first we have to get there, but that’s a conversation for another time.
