Lyrical longing weaves through the mind of any woman who covets the passions, appearance, or reputation of another. This mentality, as old as time, has been relabeled throughout history, as the cultural target of the “green-eyed monster” transforms across centuries. The artistic muse of the renaissance period, the paragon of beauty lamented within 1800s literature, the reputable lady of the Middle Ages, the rebelling It Girl of the roaring 20s, and the gender-bending cool girl of the early 2000s all shared a shadow of envy that slithered after their ephemeral personas. Thanks to Olivia Rodrigo’s 2023 ballad, a new title for the object of loathsome admiration has emerged: Lacy.

Through the musical lens of Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Lacy,” the lyrics communicate the insecurity triggered by the “perfect” presence of another. Women have been haunted by their personal Lacy—or whoever they called her—since the beginning of time. Envy, a poison so potent it triggered the fall of man, now a feeling running rampant, igniting havoc in the minds of women who long to be someone they are not.

However, the complexity of this feeling magnifies in the Lacy that is found in the internalized envy of a past self.

Envy clouds the eyes and twists the interpretation of previous highs as if they are a summit to never be reached again. This feeling, or rather obsession, invades when the object of fascination is reflected in the mirror of the past.

As if the individual that resided within a previous calendar year is another entity entirely, resentment simmers in the comparisons to the current self.

I see you everywhere

The sweetest torture one could bear

Smart sexy Lacy, I'm losing it lately

With the digital world offering a crisp window into the past, moments are kept alive through countless videos and photographs—almost as if a time capsule resides within the touch of a button. This reality has elevated physical comparison to a detrimental level. This face has faded into that one; this confident pose has retreated into this one; this smile has dimmed into this one. Seasonal alterations of how we look are on full display, and social media is no friend to change.

Your past self is inescapable, a truth that Snapchat’s “one year ago, today” feature gleefully reminds us of each day. Lacy describes the admiration of an individual who contrasts our own reflection. Perfection to our chaos. How tortuous the thought of grasping a figment of your desired self and having allowed the persona to slip through your fingers.

I linger all the time

Watchin', hidden in plain sight

Ooh, I try, I try, I try

But it takes over my life

What better way to restrict the enjoyment of the present than to live entirely in the past. The cycle of internalized envy is revealed in focusing entirely on reverting to an old self. A mindset that renders your current value underestimated—predestined to be sought after by a future you.

Will my elderly face long for the reflection that I now resist? We are in a constant race against time and denial of its inevitability. The fear of a life in decline, the worry of thriving off memory, the horror of peaking. The insult of peaking in life—whether it was in high school, college, or the school readathon in the 3rd grade—carries a swift punch. There is an utter rejection in accepting we have reached the pinnacle of human-laced accomplishment and success. It is only up from here, we tell ourselves as we label our past selves as an adversary to beat. In this forlorn battle, we tire ourselves in proving that our worth excels that of the past—a disillusionment as the celebration of the present is pushed aside for the next battle to be waged against your own successes.

Lacy, oh, Lacy, it's like you're out to get me

You poison every little thing that I do

Lacy, oh, Lacy, I just loathe you lately

And I despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you

Yeah, I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you

Lacy does not simply represent the form that you desire to return to; Lacy is a festering of temporal wishful identification. Quite ironic isn't it…that the character traits and lifestyle that we desire to emulate are often from a faded version of ourselves. In truth, a rose-tinted filter encases previous versions of ourselves, capturing them in an airbrushed state, devoid of the hardships that were littered throughout.

“Maturity gives us jealous eyes,” said American television host Virginia Graham. “We look with jealousy on the younger woman because she doesn’t know as much now as we do, and, oh, what we could do with our wisdom and her face.”

An evolution of envy flows through the song as Rodrigo references “flawless, delicate, golden skin”—a longing for a glow that only youth can provide. The observation turns cynical as "aren't you the sweetest thing on this side of hell” reveals an envy of innocence. Lacy remains blissfully ignorant of the evil that this world has yet to overwhelm her with. She lives in a time where darkness has not yet reached her light, and the narrator is bitter toward a state of herself that remains eternally pure. Watching this glass encased version of herself is the “sweetest torture one could bear” as they are a marvel to watch so much so that it is piercing.

A river’s flow is an inevitability, never to be stepped in twice, a direct reflection of the unstoppable force of time and change. A “dazzling starlet” references a young and potential-soaked individual, on the pinnacle of a break-through with everything to gain on the horizon.

Malicious envy laced within this ballad magnifies the misunderstanding that success is intimately intertwined with youth. If I may offer a brief step into reality: life is not linear and without trials. The Laceys of your mind’s eye are a fabrication, dreamed up and placed upon a specific subject. Angelic abilities to rise above the valleys of life with ease are not of this world. The halo placed upon a past self is born of a yearning to rewind the clock, steal more time, and savor eras of ourselves that attract nostalgia. Unfortunately and luckily, that is not the way the world works.

The transformation of envy into admiration, celebration, and a dash of emulation is where a desire to return transforms into a pride to have been. What need is there to covet something that is already a part of you? Your current self is built and shaped from the wins and losses of every previous version that has been wonderfully woven into your present; life is not meant to be a chess match against your own self.

Written by Logan Hansen, Photography: Kaleigh Mazy, Design: Dylan Sanchez, Social Media: Ava Whelan, Styling: Tinh Tran, Videography: Antonio Gutierrez

Lacy Oh Lacy