Pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo returned for her third studio album June 12 with the release of "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love." The highly anticipated project consists of 13 songs and has a runtime of 51 minutes that leans into and expands on her foundations of turbulent and heartbroken alternative pop with new production styles yet familiar lyrical themes. It tells a story of a relationship from start to end — which fans theorize is about actor Louis Partridge, whom Rodrigo dated for over two years.
Rodrigo’s latest album boasts her signature sound popular on previous albums “SOUR” and “GUTS,” released in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Shortly after their releases, both albums peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. Rodrigo has earned three Grammy awards and 14 nominations, and countless other accolades that mark her as one of the leaders in today’s pop music scene.
In the past, Rodrigo has been popular for her hard-hitting breakup ballads, from “drivers license" and “deja vu” on the “SOUR” album to “vampire” and “making the bed” on “GUTS.” However, “GUTS” had Rodrigo exploring a pop-punk sound with raw, energetic tracks like “bad idea right?” and “get him back!”
On "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” Rodrigo decided to further explore the pop-punk genre, with influences from bands The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The two English bands led the post-punk movement through their distinctive songs and style, but their influence on the album is almost negated by the fact that Rodrigo is a largely commercial-friendly artist signed to the largest music conglomerate in the world. Musically, fans may have expected a more pioneering album considering who Rodrigo said she was inspired by.
Rodrigo built anticipation for her album with two impressive lead singles, “drop dead” and “the cure,” the first and eighth track, respectively. Both songs have amassed hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify and each boast their own music videos — the former being shot at the famous Palace of Versailles in France. The videos for both tracks blend hyperfeminine motifs like babydoll dresses and red lipstick with unsettling visuals like Rodrigo injecting liquid into a beating heart.
With a crooning bridge and an emotional piano backing, the second track "stupid song" feels somewhat uninspired. She again explores themes of self-comparison common in her music through lyrics like "And all the girls at this party are so cool / That's never been a thing that I could do." The track does not feel like anything new or exciting — it instead mimics the traits of past songs like "deja vu" and "pretty isn't pretty" seemingly in hopes to achieve their level of popularity. Though the album is about her first mature relationship, it feels markedly similar to songs Rodrigo wrote when she was 17.
In "maggots for brains" Rodrigo sings about her unhealthy mental state in her previous relationship. She almost whispers the lines "And sometimes, at a low point, I even wish for a tragedy / 'Cause I know hе'd come over and take rеal good care of me.” However, the chorus is more upbeat and poppy with a bright electric guitar, giving it a subtle rock influence. Rodrigo is not afraid to expose the more uncomfortable aspects of being in a relationship, especially one that grows to be overly codependent.
Two tracks later, "my way" contains the most distinct composition on the record itself, with a moody and dark synthesizer underlying the verses. However, the experimental punk sound is reminiscent of her past album "SOUR," and Rodrigo’s lyrics of jealousy over a partner's previous ex repeat themes on her prior album "GUTS." Even though the track works to space out the slower, emotional songs, its themes and sounds can feel overly familiar.
The seventh track, "purple," marks the halfway point of the project and the end of its love songs. The dreamy, reminiscent tune may seem like a love song on the surface, with the chorus "And I melt with you, your red and my blue / Now I see the world in purple, purple," yet it later foreshadows the demise of Rodrigo's relationship in darker lyrics. The lines "I had big dreams 'til I tied myself to you / Now I'm all-consumed" reference the codependency and toxicity that will define later, downhearted tracks, serving as a strong transition to the second half of the album.
Track 10, “what’s wrong with me” marks Rodrigo’s first-ever collaboration with another artist, The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith. This collaboration was teased when the two sang “Friday I’m in Love” together at the Glastonbury Festival, which Rodrigo headlined last year. Smith and Rodrigo’s vocals blend together on the track to create a haunting chorus fit with 80s-inspired synth and percussion, bridging Rodrigo’s works with The Cure’s gothic rock sound.
The later half of the album as a whole is rather repetitive, with its sad breakup songs being similar not only to one another but to Rodrigo’s work on “SOUR.” The three ballads on the second half of the album "begged," "less" and "cigarette smoke" are all emotional songs marked by Rodrigo's recognizable heartbroken lyrics. The latter closes off the album, with an uplifting violin backing that contrasts the quavering vocals.
Rodrigo’s occasional repetition may instead represent a tried and true musical formula, as her labor of love on “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love” paid off amongst audiences, producing an album that is able to commercially compete with well-received past records. Blending her signature grunge tracks with passionate and emotional ballads while telling a story about a single relationship, Rodrigo’s work will surely attract new and old fans alike. While some tracks — especially those ballads — feel hyper reminiscent of songs on previous albums, the 80s-inspired production and eerie verses help the album to stand out on its own as a representation of Rodrigo’s growth as an artist.
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