I have loved Olivia Rodrigo since her An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success days.

And when she finally got all the recognition she deserved from her song “drivers license,” I was thrilled. Releasing an entire album following her hit song “drivers license” and her song “All I Want” from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, was exactly what Rodrigo needed to skyrocket her success. In only a few days, her new album “SOUR” has already done that.

Every song on “SOUR” seemed to have a different vibe, and had I not known they were all written by Rodrigo, I would have never guessed they would be on the same album. 

The first few seconds of “brutal” made me think it would be a slow and sad song; I was completely wrong. The beat quickly changed and cascaded into a song about hate. Rodrigo sings “And I’m so caught up in the news of who likes me and who hates you,” which could be referencing her alleged love triangle with Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter. 

The entirety of “brutal” is utterly relatable. The feelings that tried their best but still get hate seem to be a common teenage thought. Reading and listening to every lyric pushes my resonation to what Rodrigo sings. 

“Traitor,” in three days, has already gotten a star by its name on Apple Music to show its popularity. Rodrigo drags whoever hurt her through the mud with her words. She starts the song by talking about “brown guilty eyes,” white lies, and that she played dumb when she always knew that he was talking to someone else. The repeated “ain’t it funny” in this song just further emphasizes the lies. It amazes me how angelic Rodrigo can sound while singing about being betrayed.

“1 step forward, 3 steps back” is definitely one of my top three songs on the album. The slow pace and piano remind me of Taylor Swift’s songs. The song perfectly encompasses a feeling of walking on eggshells, having to be careful as to not get hurt. “1 step forward, 3 steps back” is completely underrated. I have barely seen anything on my TikTok For You Page about it compared to other songs like “good 4 u.”

“Good 4 u” has been addicting since it came out. Rodrigo dropped it a week before “SOUR.” It gave yet another insight into how the album would be. “Good 4 u” is the perfect song to shout through the neighborhood. Although the lyrics may be slightly sad or angry, the beat makes it hard to stop listening to. My favorite part of the song is the second “soul” Rodrigo sings near the end of the song. Her voice goes on a light run. If I was able to, I would have that one word on repeat forever. 

“Enough for you” is incredibly different from “good 4 u.” The latter is all about hoping someone is okay even if they hurt you. “Enough for you” is about changing for someone to want you. Rodrigo sings “You always say I’m never satisfied, but I don’t think that’s true ‘cause all I ever wanted was to be enough for you.” The soft guitar in the background somehow further emphasizes this. Rodrigo’s words are strong enough to cut like a knife, without needing a hard rock track behind them.

“Happier” follows “enough for you” in the tracklist, and they also complement each other. The music behind Rodrigo’s voice flows so well together. “Happier” is an overall incredible song. While the music matches “enough for you,” the lyrics match “deja vu.” Both reminisce about a past relationship and an ex being with someone new. When “deja vu” calls someone out, “happier” expresses the emotions behind it. It’s all about wanting someone to be happy but not as content as they were prior to their love.

“Jealousy, jealousy” relates more to “brutal” than any other song on the album. Rodrigo sings about the effect of seeing others as being more desirable or having something desirable. In my eyes, “jealousy, jealousy” represents the feelings that come with social media. Seeing all these perfect people on every app is tiring; It feels like I’ll never be like them. This song is that feeling in a form that I can listen and scream to. 

“Favorite crime” needs more attention. The way Rodrigo can sing about sacrificing so much to not always get something in return is truly astonishing. I love the way she turns this feeling into a crime story. My first time listening to it, I didn’t notice the ending. The last line of the song is “Cause baby, you were mine.” The chorus is all about hoping to be the favorite crime, and the last line ties the feeling of the song together with a bow.

“Hope ur ok” almost made me cry—twice. It’s not about heartbreak like I expected when I first saw the tracklist. It hurt more than any breakup song could. It never speaks of a breakup, it only talks of hatred and overcoming it. Rodrigo sings to two childhood friends who weren’t accepted by their families. She sings of how proud she is of them. The song ends with a muffled audio recording, which I can only imagine is related to her friends.

“SOUR” was a beautiful album, and I can only hope to see more in the future from Rodrigo.