Olivia Rodrigo’s Debut Album ‘SOUR’ Is Finally Here And It’s My Newest Obsession

Posted On May 25, 2021

Samantha Colleran, May 2021

I’m keeping this introduction short because I haven’t been this excited to do a track by track in a while. After releasing her debut single “drivers license” earlier this year, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album titled SOUR has finally made its way into the world. I’ll be breaking down each individual track, and giving my top three must listen to songs at the end of this post. Note that because this album has been out for a few days, these are not my initial thoughts of each track. 

Congratulations to Olivia, let’s get into reviewing SOUR because trust me, you’re in for a rollercoaster of emotions!

1. “brutal”

Right off the bat this is totally different sounding than any other track released prior to the album drop. We start off with a little violin and get into a rockier sound, similar to “good 4 u” but a bit more relaxed and not as fast paced. It feels like the introduction to a 2000s teen movie like 10 Things I Hate About You. This track honestly feels the most relatable to me; Rodrigo opens up about all her insecurities, the harsh reality of the music industry, and the false narratives older generations continuously drill into the minds of the younger generation of today. Olivia is still incredibly young and learning how to navigate typical teenage things like heartbreak and learning how to drive while balancing a career in entertainment, and it’s a lot to handle. For me, one of the most relatable lyrics in the song is “If someone tells me one more time/ ‘Enjoy your youth,’ I’m gonna cry”. Before I went away to college everyone told me it would be the best four years of my life, the “golden years”. In reality it’s been anything but golden, and I’m so glad Olivia is speaking out against the statement because I am personally sick of hearing it. It’s such a strong introduction to the album, it shows how versatile Olivia’s sound is. She ends the song by saying “And God, I don’t even know where to start”, and the irony of beginning the album with a song that ends with that lyric is so genius. 

2. “traitor”

This song has softer instrumentals than our strong introduction, but the lyrics are certainly hard hitting. The more I listen, the more this song reminds me of “Heather” by Conan Gray instrumentally (which makes sense considering Conan and Olivia are really good friends, but I always love seeing similarities between songs)! Rodrigo sings about the past relationship a lot of the album centers around, the instrumentals are quieter in the verses and build up in the chorus as Rodrigo sings about the betrayal, “You talked to her when we were together/ Loved you at your worst, but that didn’t matter/ It took you two weeks to go off and date her/ Guess you didn’t cheat, but you’re still a traitor”. Olivia touches on the fact that it seems impossible for her ex to move on so quickly; how can he be dating a new girl two weeks after he and Olivia broke up? It’s an all too relatable subject for a lot of teenagers, and even some adults out there, and it contrasts our opener on a lot of levels. Two songs in and we’re already seeing such a well rounded record!

3. “drivers license”

The track that started it all. “drivers license” is the angsty heartbreak track that had the entire Internet in shambles within its first 24 hours of being released, and has soared to new heights of success each passing week. “drivers license” further fueled the Olivia Rodrigo-Joshua Bassett-Sabrina Carpenter love triangle interest with its lyrics about a “blonde girl” who Rodrigo claims is “everything [I’m] insecure about”. The heart wrenching lyrics about never feeling the feelings she felt for Joshua for anyone and how she’s so confused about how quickly he moved on struck a chord with millions (the clear talent Olivia showcases in the track definitely helped just a tiny bit with the success!). Although slightly overplayed, you can hear the passion in Olivia’s voice with every note she sings; the fact she wrote such a deep and emotional song during a really hard time speaks to the type of person and songwriter she is. 

4. “1 step forward, 3 steps back”

This song is actually pretty interesting. Prior to the release, Olivia fans noticed that Taylor Swift and producer/Bleachers band member Jack Antonoff were credited on the track. The first thought was that Rodrigo managed to get Taylor to help write on a track. However, when actually listening to the song it’s noted that Olivia was given permission to sample the piano instrumental from a track off of Taylor’s Reputation album titled “New Year’s Day”. In order to get around the whole Scooter Braun and Big Machine Records vs. Swift issue, Taylor and Jack allowed Olivia to play the piano part herself so it didn’t sound exactly the same and any royalties could be given directly to Taylor and Jack and not Braun. Lyrically, the track talks about a relationship with inconsistencies; one minute Rodrigo is the love of his life, that is until she makes him mad somehow. “Do you love me, want me, hate me?/ Boy, I don’t understand” Rodrigo sings in the chorus. It’s a softer and more vulnerable moment on the album, and it helps to round out the rockier sounding songs, further solidifying Olivia’s musical range. 

5. “deja vu”

“deja vu” was the second single from SOUR and definitely proved that Olivia doesn’t fit into a certain musical box. It’s a bit more psychedelic sounding compared to lead single “drivers license”; with dreamlike instrumentals combined with breathy vocals, Rodrigo asks her ex lover if he gets deja vu when he’s with his new girlfriend. After all, Rodrigo was the one who showed him all the date places they went to when dating, taught him all of her jokes, and even showed him Billy Joel. Now, her ex takes his girlfriend to all the places they used to go, tells all of Olivia’s jokes, and even showed his new girlfriend “Uptown Girl”, and it bothers Olivia that this girl thinks he’s “so unique” when in reality everything they do together is “so reused”. Instrumentally, “deja vu” is one of the more interesting tracks off of SOUR, and I’d personally love to see if Olivia ever does more psychedelic sounding songs in the future. 

6. “good 4 u”

This was my personal favorite single off of SOUR, and definitely the one that made my expectations for this album go through the roof. “good 4 u” starts off following a similar vibe of Rodrigo’s previous singles, but when we get to the chorus we’re thrown into a 2000s rock guitar riff (think Avril Lavigne or Paramore) that’ll have you jamming out like nobody’s watching! Upon the first listen, the opening verse feels a bit like “deja vu” with it’s echoey vocals, but by the time you hit the chorus it feels like a whole new world. The lyrics are biting and sarcastic, “Well, good for you/ You look happy and healthy, not me/ If you ever cared to ask” Rodrigo opens up the chorus with. She sings about losing her mind and spending the night crying on her bathroom floor while her ex is working on himself and moving on from their relationship quickly. In the video Rodrigo plays a cheerleader looking to seek revenge on her ex, so she burns down his room and floods it in her fit of fury. There’s also a nod to Jennifer’s Body at the end, where Rodrigo pops her head out of a lake with red eyes and a smirk, similar to a scene where Megan Fox’s character Jennifer Check swims in a lake after killing someone. Do with that what you will, but I’m personally loving the nods to 2000s pop culture and music Olivia Rodrigo’s been scattering throughout her music and music videos!

7. “enough for you”

Sometimes in relationships one person will put in a ton of effort to please their partner, and the other half of the relationship won’t do the same. Olivia tells her listeners that in this relationship she wore makeup because her ex’s past lovers did and she thought it would make him happy (it didn’t), she learned how he liked his coffee and all of his favorite songs (he didn’t care), and she read all the same books he read so she’d seem smart in his eyes (this didn’t help either). All Olivia wanted was to be enough for this boy, and he didn’t give her the same amount of affection or attention. Now that this boy is out of her life, Rodrigo is left to pick up the pieces and try to find herself again; “I’d say you broke my heart/ But you broke much more than that/ Now I don’t want your sympathy/ I just want myself back”. 

8. “happier”

At this point we already know Olivia’s ex has moved on with a new girl, but this song goes into more detail about how Olivia’s feeling exactly about this girl and the situation as a whole. Olivia wishes her ex the best in his future, but selfishly wishes he won’t be as happy with a new person as he was with Olivia (which seems like a pretty normal feeling people have when they see someone they loved so much moving on with life). Olivia tells us she thought she had detached herself from the thought of her ex, but seeing him happy with someone new brings up those repressed memories. The one thing I love about this song is that Olivia doesn’t tear down this new girl in the lyrics; although it’s a gut reaction to be mad and take it out on the new girl, Olivia admits that it would be wrong to do that. “And now I’m pickin’ her apart/ Like cuttin’ her down will make you miss my wretched heart/ But she’s beautiful, she looks kind/ She probably gives you butterflies” Olivia sings in the second verse. It gives me a bit of an Ed Sheeran “Happier” vibe, but from a teenage girl perspective. Definitely a standout moment on the album. 

9. “jealousy, jealousy”

Before getting into the lyrics, let me just say that this song is one of the most unique in terms of instrumentation on the album. There’s a lot of layered vocals and the instrumental buildup to the chorus is so cool. It’s a slower paced track with a very even flow, and then the bridge includes this clunky piano sound that feels like it shouldn’t work but does. The song talks about the world of social media and how it’s made Olivia grow increasingly jealous of her peers, which for people around our age is really relatable. We’ve grown up in a world where social media has been shoved down our throats, and people post all their best moments; they put on a show when what they’re posting is only a miniscule part of their lives. Too many people in this generation compare themselves to those they see on social media; they want to be anyone else but themselves, they want whiter teeth and smaller bodies and cooler clothes. “Com-comparison is killin’ me slowly/ I think I think too much/ ‘Bout kids who don’t know me/ I’m so sick of myself/ Rather be, rather be/ Anyone, anyone else” Rodrigo sings smoothly in the chorus. It’s definitely a relatable track. 

10. “favorite crime”

This song is one of the most emotional on the album and it shows a more creative side of Olivia’s songwriting. Through the use of a crime as a metaphor, Rodrigo talks about all different aspects of her breakup to moving on and healing. Olivia compares herself to a “willing accomplice”; although her ex was responsible for the actual breakup, Olivia stayed and let him treat her badly, causing her to be somewhat responsible for the final result of heartbreak. As she made promises to him, he crossed a number of lines in their relationship and broke her trust; yet she still defended him whenever she talked to her friends. The bridge showcases a shift both instrumentally and lyrically; sure, Olivia was “goin’ down” because of how horrible the relationship was for her, but she was with someone she cared about a lot and it hurt to see him end up breaking her heart and ultimately leaving her for another girl. Despite all of this, Rodrigo still says she hopes she was her ex’s “favorite crime”, because loving him is still her favorite crime. I love the acoustic guitar, it keeps the focus on the metaphorical lyrics and doesn’t take away from everything Olivia is singing about. It’s a standout lyrically, and it makes me sad more people aren’t giving it the proper attention it deserves. 

11. “hope ur ok”

“hope ur ok” reminds me so much of “The Story” by Conan Gray, I almost cried while listening. If you haven’t heard “The Story”, definitely check it out because you’ll better understand some of what I’m about to talk about. Closing the album with this song was such a solid choice. “hope ur ok” tells the story of a couple of people Rodrigo lost touch with in life; a “towhead blond with eyes of salt” whose parents “cared more about the Bible/ Than being good to their own child” and a girl she knew in middle school who “raised her brothers on her own” with parents who “hated who she loved”. Rodrigo lets us into their lives a little, and says that despite the fact they fell out of touch, she hopes they know she loves them and she hopes they’re okay. The instrumentation is kept relatively simple to allow the message of the song to shine through as Rodrigo sings passionately. The song has no chorus, which breaks the typical structure we’re so used to in music. Ending her entire debut album with the lyric “I hope that you’re okay” is such a beautiful sentiment, and it feels so personal. 

Sam’s Song Selection

This was honestly so hard because I thoroughly enjoyed every single song on the album. Even “drivers license”, which is a little overplayed at this point, still fits so perfectly within the album. This is definitely subject to change the more I listen, but for now…

1. “brutal”- As of now, this one still speaks to me the most after listening through a few times. The instrumentals are super 2000s alternative, and I love the lyrics. Definitely the best track to start the album off with, it’s incredibly strong!

2. “favorite crime”- This song deserves way more credit for its lyricism. Rodrigo has said before her writing style is more straightforward, so writing something metaphorical was a challenge, but I’m glad she took it on because I’ve fallen deeper in love with the sound and lyrics each time I listen. 

3. “good 4 u”- My third favorite has been changing a lot, but I have to go with this one for the sake of the post! I love the raw, angry energy, and as someone who loves alternative music and rock sounds this single immediately became my favorite. I can’t stop listening to it, and I hope Olivia makes more songs that sound like this one!

You can listen to SOUR on Apple Music, Spotify, or any other streaming service you may prefer! Let me know your favorite SOUR track in the comments, and feel free to share your personal thoughts on the album in the comments!