I often find myself absolutely loving three or four songs from each of Olivia Rodrigo’s albums but feel meh about the rest. However, I think her newest release, "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” may be different. A lot of these songs may go on my regular playlist, whether for a catchy chorus, unique harmonies or moving lyrics.
Rodrigo released the album on June 12, and it’s one I’ve been awaiting for a while. Since her debut album “SOUR,” released 2021, I have constantly listened to songs she’s released throughout those years, like “drivers license," “deja vu” and “bad idea right?” So, I was excited to hear the new project for the first time and rank my favorites.
13. u + me = <3
I really couldn’t get into this one. It sounds quite generic, the lyrics are really choppy and the chorus is a bit grating. I also don’t really understand the sudden shift in the second verse when Rodrigo starts singing about her love interest’s older sister; it just seemed random. Overall, it’s not a super memorable song with no interesting moments.
12. honeybee
This song was cute, but I didn’t enjoy the use of pet names like “baby boy” and “honeybee” in the lyrics. To me, they made the song sound cringy. And while the chorus has some pretty great harmonies, I hated the electronic-sounding choral voices used in the second verse.
On my first listen, this song was hard to place as the verses and chorus all blended together. After a second time listening, I started to enjoy the song’s energy and fun lyrics. Unfortunately, compared to others, I felt the song was overall forgettable. At this point, I’ve listened to it three times and don’t think I could even hum the melody if I tried.
I think having Robert Smith, lead singer of The Cure, as a featured artist on this song was a decent idea. I always find it fun when new artists team up with older artists on pieces, like Dolly Parton did with Sabrina Carpenter. Despite this, “what’s wrong with me” is a song that feels just OK. Having an 80s-style ballad thrown into this album was unique, but I don’t think it works well with the rest of Rodrigo’s vision.
This song’s ending is absolutely amazing. The growing strings and the loud vocals put together sound cinematic, finishing in a quieter moment. But the song doesn’t really grab my attention at the beginning, especially because it includes one of my biggest pet peeves in songs: the first lyrics as the song’s title. It just feels so on the nose.
8. purple
I instantly loved the church organ in the opening, but I didn’t really like the verses which felt too repetitive, slow and choppy for my taste. This song’s saving grace is its amazing harmony in the chorus. When she sings “circles” and “purple,” the harmonies are so haunting.
7. stupid song
I think this song could grow on me with more listens just because of the chorus’s power. The verses were OK but again felt repetitive and low energy. The chorus is incredible though, and I loved the growing power throughout. Even after listening a few times, it still gives me chills.
6. my way
I think I have this one so high because of how unique it is compared to the rest of the album. This song has a rock edge much more similar to her previous album, “GUTS.” And I think she has a knack for the genre, making this a fun and upbeat addition to the album.
5. less
Finally, a song with interesting verses. While it’s still repetitive, the higher notes in the melody make it far more enjoyable. The chorus has an old-timey feeling with a ritardando thrown in there too. I also love it when choruses have alternate lyrics in each one. In the first chorus, she sings “If loving me means letting go and wishing me the best,” and in the second chorus, she sings “If loving me means crying on the curb at LAX.” This switch-up just adds variety to an already beautiful song.
4. the cure
Released as a single May 22, I listened to this song and was quite impressed. It’s rare that a five-minute song will keep you engaged the whole way through, but it holds my attention quite well. It probably has something to do with the earworm chorus and the incredible harmonies throughout.
3. expectations
This sounds like a Chappell Roan song, and I love Chappell Roan. The 1980s synth and upbeat backup singing had me sat. Like “my way,” this one stands out from the rest for being less acoustic and having a high energy. I also loved the vocalizer on Rodrigo’s voice before the final chorus singing, “I’ve got big expectations.” Pitch correction software used in artful ways other than autotune are some of my favorite production decisions.
2. drop dead
With growing energy throughout, fun lyrics and a killer bridge, I think this is the most energetic song on the whole album. This was released two months ago, and it currently has over 250 million streams on Spotify. I can see why; it’s extremely catchy and has incredible vocal power from Rodrigo.
1. begged
My god this song rocks. While I’m usually more partial to high energy pop songs, I love a good ballad. Her voice sounds amazing in the verses and even better in the chorus. But what gets me is the chorus’s chord progression. When she slips into a minor key at the end of each line, I get chills.
Overall, while I may not think this album comes close to the sheer genius of “SOUR,” I did like it more than “GUTS,” and it already has far more songs that I enjoy listening to. Rodrigo definitely leaned away from her rock era in this album, which was an interesting turn for her but one that ultimately paid off. I just hope she can keep her songs fresh and unique in the future.
