Olivia Rodrigo is moving on from the happy love-girl album. Three years after her sophomore album, Guts, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love takes on a sadder pop-punk twist, different from her last two albums, which followed a teen-girl rock aesthetic.
Olivia shared her thoughts on the album in a letter on Instagram. “The record is a time capsule of a relationship in all its highs and lows; it’s my attempt to capture love from both sides of the coin.”
With thirteen songs, this album features a wide variety of song styles, embracing the transition between teen ando adult romance. Olivia has always had a soft spot for melancholy pop songs, and this album especially emphasizes her lyricism and a play on words.
The album takes off with lead single “Drop Dead,” which still has a pop essence while introducing hints of melancholy. This song plays with words to present Olivia’s new ideas on love.
Following this, the second single, “The Cure,” has a bit more of a grunge undertone, looking for an anecdote for feeling the harshness of a relationship and ultimately realizing that love is not the cure to all issues.
Listening to the album, we see a mix of emotions between the style of the songs, as we progress to more melancholy songs about not wanting to be alone and feeling sadness being away from the person you want.
“Stupid Song” is the perfect encapsulation of that crushing feeling of wanting so bad (#yearning for the It girls among us). As Olivia sings in the song, “Tell your friends that you’re mine. I’m yours. With a hand on my heart, I swore. Nobody’s wanted somebody more.”
In “Honeybee,” Olivia explains the fear of losing someone dear to you while foreshadowing an eventual breakup (and the You Seem Pretty Sad side of the album). That anxious feeling is something you never want to have in the back of your mind.
One of this writer’s personal favorites, “u + me = <3”, is a reminder of those phases of ignoring your friends when you think you’ve found the one. This song explains what it’s like to dive straight into love and ignore the advice of your friends. Olivia brings out that perfect young and delusional feeling as she sings, “And all my ex-boyfriends have heard these lines (Let’s get married when we’re 25).”
You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love feels more personalized to Olivia as an artist. Listeners can see how her writing has matured since her last Guts, and follow her perspective on what it’s like to go through the hardships of finding yourself and finding that person you want to grow with.
Overall, Olivia’s album is definitely a jump from what we’re typically used to from her. Not only are her songs sad, but they have an indie, grunge undertone with a synth sound we are not used to from her. The style shift is a perfect representation of Olivia’s growth.
Whether you’re going through real heartbreak or going through the feels of summer nostalgia, Olivia’s album is the perfect way to enter summer.