On November 17th, 2017 Olivia released her debut EP “It’s Not That Deep,” with the singles “Empty” and “RIP” being released on February 17th and July 14th respectively. The EP dropped on November 17th and included previously unreleased songs called “Tequilawine,” “F**k Feelings” and “No Love.” On June 29th, 2018 a remix of “RIP” was released, featuring G-Eazy and Drew Love.
On August 3rd, 2018 the lead single to O’Brien’s debut album was released. “UDK,” the lead single, marked a change in sound for the singer-songwriter. The 2nd single, “I Don’t Exist” was released on September 14th, 2018. “Care Less More,” the third single, was released on November 9th, 2018. On December 18th, 2018 Olivia announced her first ever headline tour, named after her debut album “Was It Even Real?,” which she announced a few months later. The fourth single, “Love Myself,” was released on February 1st, 2019.
On March 28th, 2019 Olivia announced her debut album “Was It Even Real?” would be released on April 26th, 2019. “Just Friends,” the first and only promotional single, was released on March 29th, 2019 alongside preorder for the album. On April 19th, 2019, a week before the album the 5th and final single, “Just A Boy” was released. Olivia’s debut album, “Was It Even Real?” was released on April 26th, 2019. On May 15th, 2019 “Fade Out” by Seeb featuring Olivia and Space Primates was released.
On November 12th, 2019 Olivia announced that she will be releasing multiple micromixtapes following the release of the first one, “It Was A Sad F**cking Summer” that Friday. Olivia explained in a video on Instagram that micromixtapes contained 2-3 songs that fit together sonically and lyrically as well as all making you feel the same emotion. For “It Was A Sad F**king Summer,” those emotions are melancholy, bittersweet and nostalgic. Alongside the release of the first micromixtape Olivia announced that she was going on tour and that the tour was titled “It Was A Sad F**cking Tour.”
2 days before the release of the 2nd micromixtape Olivia started teasing on Instagram by asking her followers if they were ready for micromixtape #2. One day before release she posted lyrics to the chorus “Josslyn” but without the title lyric. “The Results Of My Poor Judgement” was released on February 7th, 2020.
complicated
olivia o'brien Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lay back, it′s all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
I like you the way you are
When we're drivin′ in your car
And you're talking to me one on one
Somebody else ′round everyone else
Watching your back like you can′t relax
You're tryin′ to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you′re
Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life′s like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you're somethin′ else
Where you are ain′t where it's at you see, you′re making me
Laugh out when you strike your pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know, you're not fooling anyone
When you become
Somebody else ′round everyone else
Watchin' your back like you can′t relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool to me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you′re
Acting like you′re somebody else, gets me frustrated
Life's like this you
You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty, you promised me, I′m never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no, no
No, no no
No, no no
No, no no
No, no no
No, no, no
Olivia O'Brien's "Complicated" talks about how people tend to put on a façade when they're around other people. The first verse tells us to chill out and not waste energy getting angry about things that have already happened. If we can let things be, we can see things clearly, and that's when we can appreciate people for who they really are.
The chorus is all about how the person the singer is talking to is pretending to be someone else when around others. They're trying to act cool when they're really not, and it's frustrating because the singer likes them just the way they are. The line "life's like this, you fall and you crawl and you break and you take what you get and you turn it into" is a reminder that we all go through hard times, but it's how we handle them that counts. The singer also mentions that honesty is important and that they were promised they would never be faked out by this person.
The second verse continues with the theme of pretending to be someone you're not. The other person is dressed up and trying to be something they're not. The singer again emphasizes that they can see through this façade and that the other person is not fooling anyone.
Overall, "Complicated" is an ode to authenticity and being true to yourself.
Line by Line Meaning
Chill out, what you yelling for?
Relax, there is no need to yell or get so worked up about things.
Lay back, it's all been done before
Take it easy, there is no need to worry or stress out because everything has already happened before.
And if you could only let it be, You will see
If you stop trying to control everything and just let things be, you will realize that things are not as complicated as they seem.
I like you the way you are
I appreciate you just the way you are without trying to pretend or be someone else.
When we're driving in your car, And you're talking to me one on one
I enjoy spending time with you, especially when we talk while driving in your car and it's just the two of us.
But you've become somebody else 'round everyone else
However, I've noticed that you change your behavior and act differently when you're around other people.
Watching your back like you can't relax
You seem to be constantly worried and paranoid, and you can't seem to let your guard down and relax.
You're trying to be cool, You look like a fool to me
You're acting like someone you're not in order to fit in or impress others, but it's not working and, in fact, it's making you look silly in my eyes.
Tell me, Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?
I don't understand why you have to make things so difficult and complicated for yourself by pretending to be someone else and constantly putting up a front.
I see the way you're, Acting like you're somebody else, gets me frustrated
It frustrates me to see you acting like someone you're not, and pretending to be someone else all the time.
Life's like this you, You fall and you crawl and you break and you take
That's just how life is, with its ups and downs, with moments of weakness and times when you must persevere and push through hardships.
What you get and you turn it into honesty, You promised me, I'm never gonna find you fake it
But despite all of life's trials and tribulations, you have the power to be honest with yourself and others, and you promised me that you would never be fake or insincere.
You come over unannounced, Dressed up like you're somethin' else
You often come over to see me without warning, dressed up in a way that is not really you, almost as if you're trying to be someone else.
Where you are ain't where it's at you see, You're making me laugh out when you strike your pose
But the truth is, you don't need to pretend to be someone you're not, because where you are and who you are is already great, and it's actually amusing to me when you try to strike poses and show off as someone else.
Take off all your preppy clothes, You know you're not fooling anyone
You don't need to dress up in fancy clothes to impress me or others because we can see through your act, and we know who you really are inside.
No, no, no
It's time to let go of pretending and being someone else, and just be yourself without fear or shame.
Writer(s): Brian Lee Beshears, Scott Edward Meath
Contributed by Gavin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.