Sour

By Olivia Rodrigo

The gall. The boldness. The absolute audacity to release a breakup album as your debut LP. It is only more devastating that it was written by an 18 year old woman who is still in high school and doesn’t give a fuck what her peers think. Maybe I cared too much about what others thought in my teens.

Olivia Rodrigo doesn’t give a shit what you think and yet has all the feelings about it. If only I could hear her lyrics when I was 17. Or 19. Or 22. I’ll bet there are people in their 50’s who get her lyrics on a spiritual level.

Regardless of how her lyrics make us feel, Rodrigo gets it. Not only is her obvious self-awareness through the roof, she has the music to back it up. Sour has bangers, both musically and emotionally.

It is not hard to hear Rodrigo’s influences in contemporary solo female artists.

Taylor Swifts’ song structures, Lorde’s harmonies, and Billie Eillish’s subtle vocal executions all come to mind when any track on Sour is played. And yet Sour evokes so many artists in her reverential stylings. Perhaps Paramore is a little too on the nose (good 4 u), but you can hear everyone from Kacy Musgraves and Avril Levign to Radio Head and The Kills in brutal or deja vu or enough for you. 

This is a great album and most agree with that sentiment. Listening to Sour, while an emotional roller coaster in itself, should give one pause as to what Olivia Rodrigo is capable of in her next album. Only time will tell and I will be cheering her on.

Best Track: “good 4 u” or “drivers license”

Tom’s Favorite: “deja vu”