Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan Team Up for ‘Expectations’ Remix

Olivia Rodrigo announced on Tuesday that a remix of “Expectations” featuring Chappell Roan will arrive Thursday, with a music video to match. The announcement confirms days of fan speculation that began with a leak from a German retailer.

Rodrigo broke the news on Instagram with a photo of the two singers posing on a yellow car bearing the license plate “XPECT8NS.” Her caption left no room for doubt: “Beyond excited to announce ‘expectations’ featuring Chappell Roan!!! song and video out Thursday!!!!”

The original “Expectations” is the 12th track on Rodrigo’s third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” which she is currently supporting on her “Unraveled” tour across North America. The run moves overseas in March for dates in London, Barcelona and Amsterdam, among other cities.

How did the leak unfold?

Rumors of the remix started circulating on Sunday after a German retailer put the single on sale, then quickly took it down. The next day, Rodrigo posted a short audio clip to her Instagram story. A female voice said, “Ooh, Olivia does remixes now.” Some fans suspected the voice belonged to Roan.

The pairing carries weight because the two singers share a long history. Roan opened for Rodrigo on both the “Sour” and “Guts” tours. Both record with producer Dan Nigro. Both have won the Grammy for best new artist.

What does this change for Rodrigo’s album cycle?

The remix gives the album’s 12th track a second life and puts Roan’s name directly onto a record she helped define by proximity. It also extends a partnership that reached its peak at Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields Festival in Irvine, California, in late August.

Rodrigo curated the all-female lineup for that inaugural event. The bill included Doechii, Mitski, Garbage and the Breeders. Roan performed just before Rodrigo’s headlining set, which featured guest appearances from Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette and Stevie Nicks. The festival raised $10 million, a sum philanthropist Melinda French Gates matched to bring the total to $20 million.

Roan, for her part, has her own event on the calendar. She will stage a two-day fundraiser at the Shrine in Los Angeles on October 21-22 to benefit trans youth and LGBTQ+ communities, with performances from Lola Young, Caroline Polachek, Tinashe and Muna.

What happens Thursday?

The song and video drop together, giving both artists a shared release just as their touring schedules and philanthropic projects overlap. Whether the remix signals further joint recordings remains unstated, but the Thursday release marks the first official collaboration between two artists who have circled each other since the “Sour” era.