Who played violin and viola on Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Drop Dead”?

Paul Cartwright played violin and viola on Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Drop Dead.”

Cartwright’s string parts are part of the track’s layered arrangement, which combines synthesizers with violin and viola. The song also contains a new wave beat, a rock bridge, and a power-pop guitar solo, making the string contribution one element in a deliberately mixed palette.

The name can be confused with other personnel connected to the album era. Ryan Linvill played saxophone on “Begged,” while Randy Merrill mastered that song. Robert Smith appears elsewhere on the album, on “What’s Wrong with Me.” Cartwright’s credit specifically belongs to the instrumental strings on “Drop Dead,” the record’s lead single.