maggots for brains

Released on June 12, 2026, “maggots for brains” is a song by Olivia Rodrigo from her third studio album, “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love”. The song was written by Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro, with Nigro also serving as producer. It was released through Geffen Records as the album’s fourth track.

The song explores the experience of being so focused on a romantic relationship that it affects rational thinking. The title is based on the English expression “maggots for brains,” which is used to describe someone acting irrationally or lacking common sense. Rodrigo uses the phrase as a metaphor throughout the song.

Rodrigo has said that “maggots for brains” was inspired by the relationship between Miranda Hobbes and Steve Brady in the television series Sex and the City. Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she explained that a scene in which Miranda tells Steve, “Anytime something funny happens, I just want to tell you,” became the starting point for the song.

She also stated that several songs on you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” were influenced by the couple’s relationship, with “maggots for brains” being one of them.

*All information accurate at the time of publishing.