Virtual Love: Rodrigo Collaborates With Robert Smith of The Cure

Olivia Rodrigo has released the official music video for her song “Drop Dead,” filmed at the Palace of Versailles in France. The video premiered on April 17, 2026, and features Rodrigo performing the track amid the historic halls and gardens of the iconic French landmark.

The song “Drop Dead” centers on a virtual romance, with Rodrigo singing about an online infatuation that blurs the lines between digital connection and real emotion. The lyrics explore the intensity of feelings developed through screens and the disillusionment that can follow when virtual interactions fail to translate into tangible relationships.

Rodrigo previously performed “Drop Dead” live with Robert Smith of The Cure during her headline set at the Glastonbury Festival in 2025. That performance, which took place on the Pyramid Stage, included a surprise appearance by Smith, who joined her for renditions of The Cure’s “Friday I’m in Love” and “Just Like Heaven.” Rodrigo introduced Smith as “perhaps the best songwriter to come out of England, a Glastonbury legend and a personal hero of mine.”

The collaboration at Glastonbury highlighted Rodrigo’s long-standing admiration for The Cure, a band she has cited as influential since her early teens. In a 2023 interview with NME, Rodrigo recalled seeing The Cure and Depeche Mode live with her father, describing those concerts as formative experiences that shaped her musical direction and appreciation for alternative rock.

The Palace of Versailles video for “Drop Dead” continues Rodrigo’s trend of pairing emotionally resonant pop-rock songs with visually striking, cinematic visuals. Known for her narrative-driven music videos, Rodrigo uses the opulent setting to contrast the intimacy of the song’s subject matter with the grandeur of its surroundings, emphasizing themes of longing and isolation amidst splendor.

As of the video’s release, Rodrigo has not announced plans for a live tour or additional performances of “Drop Dead” with Robert Smith. The Glastonbury collaboration remains a documented live moment between the two artists, preserved in fan recordings and official festival archives.