Olivia Rodrigo was no stranger to the public eye when her music career started to take off — featuring in both movies and TV shows, including the popular High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+ — but it’s her debut album that earned her worldwide acclaim and a permanent spot on the map.
Rodrigo’s Sour took the world by storm when it was released in May 2021, and rightfully so. The track list features 11 songs that inevitably tug at the strings of your heart as she channels the stages of grief and growth that one experiences while growing up, especially in a relationship.
Right off the bat, the album takes you into Rodrigo’s inner world: “brutal” is a pleasant surprise for an unsuspecting listener, with punk rock influences and lyrics that describe authentic teenage dread. A set of recurring lyrics featured in the song is among the best lyrics throughout the entire album: “They say these are the golden years / but I wish I could disappear / Ego crush is so severe / God, it’s brutal out here.” With this edgy (and borderline grunge) track, Rodrigo captures the essence of adolescence in a poignant way, giving life to the hardships that so many teenagers go through but so few openly talk about.
Following “brutal” is “traitor,” a track that showcases a much softer side of Rodrigo’s personality and voice as she expresses her disappointment in a partner who – though didn’t cheat – betrayed her. It doesn’t take long before the goosebumps start to set in while listening to this song. The strings in the background paired with high notes that are both raw and emotional is a stunning combination that, in a four minute time frame, nearly replicates the feelings one can imagine she was experiencing at the time.
Next is a song that dominated the radio for weeks when it was released: “drivers license.” Rodrigo has it all covered with this song, down to the smallest details – including jingling keys and car sound effects. In a perfect representation of what it’s like to deal with unmet expectations and disappointments post-relationship, this song is moving, heartfelt and as relatable as it is personal.
“1 step forward, 3 steps back” expresses the back and forth in a relationship where any kind of progress indicates a subsequent, more significant regression. The softness of the melody (featuring a tender piano moment in the background) is juxtaposed with the anger and frustration in Rodrigo’s voice. The two come together to paint an effortlessly beautiful yet somber narrative.
Following this song is “deja vu” and “good 4 u,” the other radio singles off of Sour. Not unlike their acclaimed predecessor, “driver’s license,” both tracks experienced a lot of praise when they were released. Each of these songs offers an upbeat tempo while taking a deep dive into some of the more taboo post-relationship themes: anger, resentment, and judgment. They are imperative to the rest of the storyline and so accurately tap into what these fiery emotions feel like – especially when paired with nostalgia, self pity, and rumination.
Circling back to the more sentimental expressions of romantic heartbreak, “enough for you” and “happier” discuss themes such as wanting to be enough for your partner and hoping they find happiness when the relationship comes to a close – but not as much as they had with you. Throughout these songs, Rodrigo opens up to her listeners in a way that is intensely intimate and vulnerable. Listening to these tracks feels like a look directly into the way her mind works — or at the very least, a glimpse of the pages of her diary.
A fun and upbeat track, Rodrigo’s “jealousy, jealousy” hits close to home as she explores the world of comparison that naturally occurs as a teenager. The jazzy sound is charming and unique. This song is interesting to listen to, as so many of Rodrigo’s fans are in her exact position, wanting her life.
The take on facilitating your own heartbreak expressed in “favorite crime” is absolutely genius. In this track, Rodrigo pleads guilty to having her own defined role in her pain, due to the lengths she’d go to compensate for her partner’s shortcomings. These lyrics are heart wrenchingly beautiful, utilizing a delicate metaphor to describe a scene where she too assumes responsibility: “And I watched as you fled the scene / Doe-eyed as you buried me / One heart broke, four hands bloody.” This one is a tearjerker for sure.
The album’s closing track “hope ur ok” takes a detour from relationship woes to tell the stories of two individuals Rodrigo knew growing up. In a sincere message directed towards these individuals as well as her fans, she expresses how proud she is of people for existing and being their authentic selves. It’s a sweet way to end off the album, leaving the listener with a glimmer of hope.
Rodrigo is wise beyond her years and a natural talent.
To say that the undertaking that is Sour is impressive, is an understatement.
This album transports the listener to a dream world that is somehow still rooted in reality – with what feels like endless different perspectives on pain, heartbreak and growing up.
