Olivia Rodrigo Premieres Duet With Robert Smith, ‘What’s Wrong WIth Me

“It’s really special to me for so many reasons, primarily because it’s the first song I’ve ever had a feature on,” Rodrigo said in introducing the new song to the crowd, without immediately letting on who did the feature or whether they were there.

The presence of Smith as a full vocal partner on the tune had been known to some industry insiders who were invited to a recent listening session for the album weeks ago in L.A., but attendees were sworn to secrecy until Rodrigo revealed the news herself.

Her love for the Cure recently evidenced itself in Rodrigo first releasing “Drop Dead,” which includes a mention of the band in the lyrics, and then releasing a second single from the new album that was actually called “The Cure” — neither with hint that Smith would be putting in a prominent cameo on an entirely different third track.

It was not the first on-stage collaboration between the two mutual admirers, as they got toether to perform “Just Like Heaven” and “Friday I’m in Love” at the Glastonbury festival last summer in the U.K.

Rodrigo’s third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” comes out next Friday. The track list had previously been revealed, but without mention of Smith’s appearance in the title of “What’s Wrong WIth Me.” The breezy pop song falls into the “You Seem Pretty Sad” half of the album, despite its upbeat musical tone. The lyrics describe a crystallizing moment in which the narrator realizes that her relationship is the thing that’s not working in her life, despite the best hopes and intentions.

Sample lyrics: “Went to the doctor and she said I was fine / Tried meditation with a bottle of wine / It’s like somebody put a weight on my chest / I should talk to a friend, but I can’t get out of bed / My head is spinning, and my stomach is sick / Say I’m in love, so it’s hard to admit / I can’t eat, I can’t sleep / I think you’re what’s wrong with me.”

The entire Rodrigo performance was close to a surprise, as her set at the Spanish festival was unknown till she let the cat out of the bag on her Instagram Stories just five hours before her Saturday performance.

Smith did not come to Spain just to sing with Rodrigo: The Cure played a headlining set at Primavera Sound Friday night, performing 29 songs during the band’s first concert in 18 months. That last show, in November 2024, had the Cure doing a full-album performance of the then-brand-new “Songs of a Lost World” album, but the group was back to a classics-filled set on Friday, with only two songs from “Lost World.” That bodes well for fans who want to hear the oldies on the Cure’s upcoming tour of Europe.