Less (song)

"Less"
Song by Olivia Rodrigo
from the album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love
ReleasedJune 12, 2026 (2026-06-12)
Length3:13
LabelGeffen
Songwriters
ProducerDan Nigro
Lyric video
"Less" on YouTube

"Less" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo from her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Rodrigo wrote it with its producer, Dan Nigro. The song became available as the album's 11th track on June 12, 2026, when it was released by Geffen Records. With lyrics related to a "devastating breakup", it is considered one of the most heartbreaking and saddest songs in Rodrigo's catalog.[citation needed]

Background

In March 2026, Olivia Rodrigo described the thematic direction of her third studio album in an interview with British Vogue. She stated that the album predominantly features "sad love songs", explaining that many of her favorite romantic tracks derive their appeal from an undercurrent of fear or longing. The album takes inspiration from Rodrigo's time in London. Multiple tracks on the album are said to reference the relationship of Sex and the City characters Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady. On April 2, 2026, the album title was unveiled after being painted on a pink wall in Los Angeles and hinted with the final word in the album title in many cities. Rodrigo continued her collaboration with Dan Nigro, who returned to be the album's producer. Rodrigo released "Drop Dead" as the lead single on April 17, 2026. A second song from the album, called "Begged", was performed on Saturday Night Live on May 2, 2026.

"Less" appears as the 11th track on You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love.

Composition

"Less" is 3 minutes and 13 seconds long. Nigro produced the song with Noah Conrad serving as co-producer, and engineering was helmed by Nigro and Chris Kasych. Conrad played piano. Nigro mixed the song, and Randy Merrill mastered it.

Critical reception

Ranking it as the 10th-best song on You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl in Love, Billboard's Hannah Dailey wrote: "Written about the gradual, sickening realization that a relationship is already over — but not quite yet having the heart to pull the trigger — 'Less' is another of the simpler sounding tunes on You Seem Pretty Sad, carried by one of Rodrigo’s most heartbreaking hooks to date: 'If loving me means letting go and wishing me the best/ Then I guess I wish, I wish, I wish you loved me less.'"

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love.

Charts

Chart positions for "Less"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) 15
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)20
Global 200 (Billboard)16
Malaysia (Billboard) 22
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 11
Panama Streaming (PRODUCE [it]) 120
Singapore (RIAS) 10
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) 9
UK Streaming (OCC) 21
US Billboard Hot 10021

References

  1. ↑ Bailey, Alyssa (June 12, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Less' Lyrics Seem to Recount the Devastating Moment Louis Partridge Broke Up With Her". Elle. Archived from the original on June 21, 2026. Retrieved June 21, 2026.
  2. 1 2 Mukhtar, Amel (March 19, 2026). ""I'm Definitely A Lover Girl": Olivia Rodrigo On Yearning, "London Vibes", And Her Most Experimental Album Yet". British Vogue. Archived from the original on May 14, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  3. ↑ Brasil, Sydney (April 2, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces Album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  4. ↑ Morrow, Brendan (April 2, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo reveals third studio album – See the surprising name". USA Today. Archived from the original on July 16, 2026. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  5. ↑ Horowitz, Steven J. (April 2, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces New Album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love". Variety. Archived from the original on May 19, 2026. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  6. ↑ Green, Walden (April 2, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces New Album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on April 2, 2026. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
  7. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (April 7, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo to Release New Single, 'Drop Dead,' on April 17". Variety. Archived from the original on April 8, 2026. Retrieved April 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ Young, Alex (May 3, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo Performs 'Drop Dead' and 'Begged' on SNL". Consequence. Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love – Album by Olivia Rodrigo". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  10. ↑ Rodrigo, Olivia (June 12, 2026). "You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Geffen Records (2026). You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love (Media notes). Olivia Rodrigo.
  12. ↑ Dailey, Hannah (June 12, 2026). "Olivia Rodrigo's You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love: All 13 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 14, 2026. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
  13. ↑ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 22, 2026. Archived from the original on June 19, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Malaysia Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 2, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. June 19, 2026. Archived from the original on June 19, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Charts digital Panamá – Semana #38" [Digital charts Panama – Week #38] (PDF) (in Spanish). Sociedad Panameña de Productores Fonográficos [it]. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2026. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  19. ↑ "The Official Singapore Charts Week 25 (12 - 18 Jun 2026)". RIAS. Archived from the original on June 23, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 25, 2026". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on August 22, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Official Streaming Chart on 19/6/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 19, 2026. Retrieved June 23, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 23, 2026.