Have you ever felt so overwhelmingly envious of somebody else?
However, this envy is not limited to one aspect of that person’s life. This jealousy is all-consuming, a perfect blend of admiration and hatred.
If so, you may have had a “Lacy” in your life. A perfect person who seems to float by, who you are never able to compete with. This is what makes them so “enviable.”
This term describing somebody like this in your life was popularized and perfectly portrayed by the hit song “Lacy,” written by Olivia Rodrigo in 2023.
This song was originally written by Olivia for a school assignment before becoming a key part of her Guts album and one of her personal favorites on the record.
The song features a haunting melody, almost portraying this mythic “Lacy” as a ghost. Constantly living rent-free in the narrator’s head.
The line “skin like puff pastry” can have a few interpretations. However, I think the line is a really interesting comparison right out of the gate. By comparing “Lacy” to food, it portrays this infatuation and obsession with her as a form of sustenance. The narrator lets this jealousy fuel her and her self-loathing.
This is incredibly relatable for the vast majority of young adults, specifically women. We often use this envy and unhealthy relationship to justify our poor self-esteem and treatment of ourselves.
Rodrigo also makes the juxtaposition of religious elements in the next line, “aren’t you the sweetest thing on this side of hell?” While this line is obviously humorous, it also serves as a representation of the narrator’s view of “Lacy.”
“Lacy” is both somebody who can be admired and viewed as seemingly sweet, but also somebody whom you, in many ways, detest. The one-sided competition drives resentment between “Lacy” and the narrator. The mention of Hell portrays this infatuation with Lacy as “sinful” or the narrator being taunted by this “demon” of hers.
“Lacy” throughout the piece is portrayed in the same way we would look at mythical creatures. The soft but eerie melody of the piece reinforces this view of Lacy as inhuman. The line, “I try to rationalize people are people, but it’s like you’re made of angel dust,” encapsulates this message. Lacy is no longer human; she’s too “perfect,” and this idyll that we will seemingly never reach. Additionally, this line further drives the wedge between the narrator and “Lacy.”
While this song is absolutely beautiful, what exactly does it mean in the real world?
This song comments on relationships that have been around for years. This type of female friendship, infatuation, and envy are not new concepts. Most women, if asked, will have a story about their “Lacy.”
The reason this story resonated with so many people is that it shone a light on something that was already very present to begin with. The song explained this feeling that so many people experience.
Speaking as somebody who has had many different “Lacy’s” in her life, I feel like I can speak to these emotions specifically. When you have a “Lacy,” they can do no wrong in your eyes; everything they touch seemingly turns to gold. However, this view is really only held when you’re observing from afar.
Once I made friends with a previous “Lacy.” She was pretty, smart, and extremely well-rounded, making comparison inevitable. However, when we became friends, something shifted. She retained all of these traits, but she became more real; she shared her shortcomings and humanized herself.
She, on one occasion, actually shared information about her “Lacy.” I was at first taken aback. How could a person so perfect envy somebody else?
As I’ve grown, I’ve realized just how our own negative self-perception weighs on us. We are unable to appreciate our successes and instead needlessly idealize other people. Everyone is both somebody’s “Lacy” and has a “Lacy.”
Learning to appreciate ourselves, as well as not demonizing or romanticizing others, enables us to move forward. Accepting our imperfections and recognizing just how far we’ve come.
This is sooo good!
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