When we think of love, we tend to associate it with happiness and that warm, fuzzy feeling, right? Wrong. According to superstar Olivia Rodrigo, love and sadness can coexist at the same time. Rodrigo’s new album, entitled You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So in Love, released on June 12, explores themes of love, heartbreak, and the complex emotions behind being in a romantic relationship.
With 13 tracks, Rodrigo takes you on a chronological journey of being in love with someone. Rumored to be inspired by the singer’s separation from ex-boyfriend Louis Partridge, we receive a peek behind the scenes of what that relationship may have looked like. Starting with falling in love in songs like “drop dead” and “stupid song,” then moving to the attachment stage with “maggots for brains“ and “purple,” before things start to turn dark in songs like “the cure” and “what’s wrong with me.“ Until the conflict building up finally takes over in the album closer, “cigarette smoke.”
The world has known Olivia Rodrigo’s music from the Disney Channel show, Bizaardvark, to her current solo career. Songs like “driver’s license” and “vampire“ have put her on the map of radio success. Rodrigo has previously released two other albums, SOUR and GUTS. However, this most recent album has solidified her as a force to be reckoned with within the music industry.
“…it’s definitely more complex and developed, and she’s finally, like, found her sound,” says sophomore Sienna Arraya.
This is apparent in the first-week statistics, which were 60% higher than the previous albums, according to Billboard.
“I feel like it’s such an escape from her first two albums,” says Arraya.
If I had to pick a song that embodies the album as a whole, it would be track 8, “the cure.” Released as the second single off the album, Rodrigo describes how she struggles with personal obstacles that cannot be hidden by the “happy” relationship she’s in. The lyrics, “But it don’t matter how your love feels anymore, it’ll never be the cure” and “I got toxins in my bloodstream, you tried hard to suck them out” capture the essence of the album title. She is essentially saying that just because someone may be in a happy, loving relationship, that does not mean it will “cure” you of all the battles you suffer from silently. Ergo, you can still be pretty sad while being in love.
On the topic of relatability, I feel that one of many elements of this album that appeals to a crowd is how each song tells a story that someone out in the world can relate to.
“I think there’s always a way to relate to art if it’s done well, and the album is done very well,” says senior Adrienne Crowley.
My opinion is that whether you’re in love or going through hardship, there is a song on this album for everyone.
Freshman Leah Morey puts it best, “She has a song for every occasion.”
This is true, considering each song on the album is different from the last.
“It’s like a playlist in one album,” says junior Francesca Montes Santorelli.
My personal favorite song on the album would have to be “what’s wrong with me.” Featuring Robert Smith of The Cure, the song describes not feeling like yourself and thinking that someone in your life might be the reason for that. Her lyricism really stands out to me in this song because she makes it seem like she’s talking to you, the listener, and telling you how she feels.
“I think [the lyricism] shows the most vulnerable thoughts that women aren’t able to share about those they love,” says sophomore Leah Sorenson.
The instrumentals also match the lyrics so well in this song and convey an intentional story. Finally, the addition of Robert Smith is important and interesting for several reasons. He is the only artist featured on the album besides Rodrigo herself, and he offers the other perspective on what the song is about; he is the person on the other side of the relationship who may be responsible for making someone feel unwell.
To wrap up, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to listen to this album. It is absolutely worth the 50 minutes, and it will change how you view that fuzzy feeling we call love, and the relationships that surround you. If there are two things I know for certain, it’s that this album is incredible, and that people can be pretty sad even though they seem to be in love.
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