Metaphors In Olivia Rodrigo's Song 'Favorite Crime'

Betrayal, heartbreak and dishonesty are three simple words that never cross one’s mind when blinded by the head-turning face of love. One can be so dumbfounded when faced with something they like, and ignore the consequences of their actions in the future. Olivia Rodrigo demonstrates this difficult balance between love and toxicity in the heart wrenching ballad; “Favorite Crime.” In terms of social adversity, this song reveals the complicated emotions and uncertainties that arise from a harmful, romantic relationship through the use of metaphors and oxymorons, suggesting that sometimes the very things we adore, can also be our downfall.

Metaphors are meaningful throughout this song, as it allows the listeners to create vivid images in their

When an artist uses an oxymoron, they are trying to describe a certain sense that cannot be stated through the meaning of one world but instead two contradicting ones. Olivia Rodrigo introduced the oxymoron “It’s bittersweet to think of all the damage that we’d do”(Rodrigo 21) in her song “Favorite Crime” to transmit a sense of emotional complexity and contradiction within these heart wrenching lyrics. The phrase “bittersweet” implies a mix between pleasure and pain, while “damage” suggests a negative, destructive aspect. The combination of these two words in the same sentence creates a sense of conflict and paradox, reflecting the conflicted emotions that arise during harmful romantic relationships. The phrase “all the damage that we’d do” echoes the narrator’s awareness of the negative consequences of continuing the relationship, while the term “bittersweet” suggests that the narrator is still drawn to the relationship despite the negative aspects. This literary device contributes to the theme of self-worth and destructive relationships because this person broke her heart in such a devastating way that when she remembers him, she chooses to only recollect the good parts and conceals the pain caused by the bad ones. Showing that, instead of moving past him, he will always stay in her mind and overtime will erode her independence and