Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated album SOUR finally dropped, and she has us feeling all the feels. If you didn’t think it could get better than her three singles, then you’re wrong. She has the ability to make us feel like we’re going through a collective break up, whether we’re in a happy relationship or never even been in one before. Whatever point you’re at in your love life, you should give this album a listen. Here’s a complete guide through Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album:
brutal:
“brutal” is a pop punk vibe that we haven’t heard from Olivia before. This track discusses the cons of being young, and especially in the music industry. She lists all of her complaints to a fast paced beat, as if we have access to the racing thoughts in her head. There are two types of people: those who have their favorite song as “brutal”, and those who don’t. While I do appreciate the return of pop punk, it’s not my favorite.
traitor:
If you thought this sounded familiar, you’re not the only one. I, and many other people on TikTok, thought this sounded similar to “Heather” by Conan Grey. This wasn’t much of a shock though, because they’ve posted about hanging out all the time and they have the same management. It’s easy to look past the similarities because the lyrics are amazing. It puts into words those girls who never dated but were heartbroken by that one guy. 2019 me would’ve cried to this every night.
drivers license:
This track is the first single released off the album and got everyone’s attention. I think what made this a hit was that it is so relatable. No matter how old you are, you can think back to the time you first got your license and where you were going to go first, and who you wanted to be driving around with.
1 step forward, 3 steps back:
In this number, Olivia goes over her struggles in a relationship. One day it feels like you’re on cloud 9, but you never know what you’re going to get the next day. This song is just another example of the relatability Rodrigo brings in the rest of her album. She writes about instances that aren’t really talked about as much, but they are experiences that many people can relate to.
deja vu:
“deja vu” is Rodrigo’s second single from this album and it highlights a part of coping with an ex moving on. It seems she is spying on her ex with a new girl, and sees they’re doing all the old things that Rodrigo and her ex did. She hopes her ex is thinking of her and he is with his new girl. We all know this feeling – whether it’s with an ex-partner or ex best friend.
good 4 u:
This is Olivia’s third single off the album released just a week before she dropped the rest of the album. I listened to this on repeat for the whole week – it’s safe to say this is my favorite one on the album. I just imagined myself driving around with the windows down as I screamed to this song. It’s more upbeat than the rest of her singles, which I think everyone appreciated. Her music video was well thought out, showing parallels from movies like “Jennifer’s Body” and “The Princess Diaries”.
enough for you:
“enough for you” is number two on my favorites from the album. As much as I like the different sound of “good 4 u”, I’m a sucker for a good sad tune. I think it’s the one I can relate the most to than the rest of the album. It’s about trying so hard to make someone happy but to them, nothing is ever enough.
happier:
Olivia talks about how she’s thinking about her ex’s new relationship, similar to “déjà vu”. She hopes that he’s happy, but not as happy as he was with her. She talks about how pretty the new girl is and that she deserves a good relationship, but still hopes that Olivia’s ex is still thinking about his past.
jealously, jealously:
This track is similar to “brutal” as Olivia compares herself to other people on social media and how she can’t live up to society’s standards. At first, she’s being general, just about how people post how pretty they are and going on vacation. As it gets to the bridge, she seems to be talking about one particular person, she says “got a pretty face, a pretty boyfriend, too”.
favorite crime:
This one is in my top three favorites from this album for sure. She webs the “crime” motif throughout the lyrics, calling herself a “willing accomplice” of her ex’s crime. It gives off a similar message as “enough for you” as she says she gave all of herself to her ex to make him happy. And in the end, it killed her.
hope ur ok:
This track stands out from the rest as she writes about some old friends that she has lost touch with. She addresses their hardships they had to go through in their lives, such as their parents not accepting who they loved. My favorite lyric is “I hope you know how proud I am you were created / With the courage to unlearn all of their hatred”. I think this belongs at the end as Olivia says it’s super special to her and it’s different than the rest of the album.
With her sweet persona on TV, Olivia gives us a new side of her that the public hasn’t seen before through her music. This album highlights her pop punk sound mixed with her classic slow songs. She reveals her struggles with being so young in relationships, the music industry, and the world in general. If you’re part of the few people that haven’t listened to this album yet, I suggest you do.
