New Olivia Rodrigo album focuses on her most intense heartbreak yet

Olivia Rodrigo—”you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love”

It doesn’t take much guessing to know where you were in January 2021 when “drivers license” became the soundtrack of social media. We found ourselves standing at crosswalks as cars rolled by, their windows down and the song pouring from the speakers while Rodrigo’s anguished cry of “Red lights! Stop signs!” transformed an ordinary commute into a shared cultural moment.

Then came “SOUR,” a devastatingly candid debut that chronicled the exhilaration of first love and the disillusionment that follows when it falls apart. We all feel these things, but Rodrigo penned them with remarkable originality. Take “favorite crime,” for example, she recast a doomed relationship as a bloody crime scene. There was also “happier,” where Rodrigo offered a complicated blessing: she wishes her muse well, while quietly hoping he never finds a happiness that surpasses what they once had. She was a teenager brimming with high-voltage angst that it became impossible not to follow where she would go next. Where she went next was “GUTS.” The new chapter embraced the messiness of growing up with even greater intensity and precision. The album’s success extended into a global tour that grossed over $185 million, while, in parallel, Rodrigo appeared to be entering a new romantic chapter of her own. We got early glimpses of it on the “GUTS (spilled)” deluxe track “so american,” which seemed to nod toward her reported relationship with English actor Louis Partridge. Maybe when things get that good, you start overthinking and psych yourself out. We know love can change things and make us feel good, but can it fix what’s broken inside us? This feels like the central tension Rodrigo explores throughout the new record.

On “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love,” the singer has split the album in two parts—one about the highs of falling in love, and the other about things falling apart and getting sad. The CD’s back cover suggests a turning point after the track “purple,” but the lyrics really signal the second half starting to take over. “Melt with you ‘til it all turns black/Melt with you ‘til it just feels sad,” she sings. The track flows into the pre-released “the cure,” where Rodrigo comes to the realization that love isn’t going to heal her. It’s a brave admission, especially so young. There’s a delirious quality to the record—the idea that being deeply in love can somehow tip into falling out of it.

We build this theme on “stupid song,” where Rodrigo expresses that sense of being tugged all over the place emotionally and mentally. “I’m a car speeding down the boulevard without a brake,” she sings, “and I want you more than any stupid song could ever say.” It’s the happiest and most exhilarating point on the record, where Rodrigo sounds completely swept up in love. The bridge echoes the structure and emotional payoff of Lorde’s “Supercut,” and the music video has her wander through New York City as a group of ballerinas trails behind her. It gets really exciting here, but there’s still this nervous energy underneath before we shift into “honeybee.” This song, which Rodrigo has described as a wedding song (though that’s up for debate), carries a subtle creepy undertone. It’s hard to tell whether it’s Conan Gray’s backing vocals or Rodrigo’s own voice layered into something more unstable, like a desperate plea to always stay connected to her lover. “I hope I never see what your face looks like going,” she sings. The song ends with an accompanying chorus that gives you chills. If this is what love feels like, it makes the album’s title all the more clear.

We were especially curious to hear “u+me=<3”, wondering how she would approach a song like that. It feels like the kind of song that would open a 2000s movie, but this is the kind of song we might leave behind at this point in her career. We feel the same about “my way,” which kind of reminds us of Taylor Swift’s “Better Than Revenge.” Some lyrics here are likely to provoke an eye roll. “Let me be direct: just stop/You’re being f*cking weird/Maybe I’m a petty bitch,” she sings. Some aspects feel like they would have been stronger left on the drawing board.

Still, we pick up on “begged,” which she debuted during her SNL performance. This track feels like the centerpiece of the album. Rodrigo isn’t entirely placing the blame on herself here. She’s expressing a very basic desire we all share—to receive a little attention from a partner without needing to ask. This song serves as a reference point for tracing how the same relationship depicted in “stupid song” ultimately falls apart over the course of the record. “They say it’s a virtue to not let good love slip away/So I’m cool and forgiving,” she sings. We get the same energy from “less.” Drums and synths are great, but nothing compares to Rodrigo and a piano. She just sounds really aching the whole time: “We tried to recreate our favorite date/But we didn’t laugh much this time.” Oof, that one hurts.

Of course, there’s that short moment where it feels like moving on might actually work. The song “expectations” is notably unexpected for this side of the album, but it’s light, fun and we love it. This reveals a side of Rodrigo we rarely see, and it’s one we’d like to hear explored further on OR4. It gives early Britney Spears vibes with a bit of glam and a bar-hopping New Years energy, like a moment where the heartbreak hasn’t fully set in. “Rocking my mini dress with a vodka cran and an open heart,” she sings. It’s like we’re slowly pulling ourselves out of the pull of heartbreak. This is that tongue-in-cheek Rodrigo we can’t help but love. (“Don’t think my husband’s at this bar in Silver Lake.”)

Now we turn to the two tracks that deserve special attention. Rodrigo kept it under wraps until Primavera Sound Barcelona that “what’s wrong with me” would feature Robert Smith. We couldn’t quite see how it would work at first, but it somehow does. The song launches with a dreamy synth that establishes an unearthly sonic palette that stands apart from the album as a whole. Never mind the chorus being irresistibly catchy. “Went to the doctor and she said I was fine/But every movie that I see makes me cry,” the duo sings. This becomes a peak moment on the album that feels universally relatable.

Then hits “cigarette smoke,” which is Rodrigo’s longest song to date and totally self-written. Her dreamy vocals in the pre-chorus build toward a staggering reveal: “I regret you,” she sings, “and how long I stayed.” It prompts us to revisit the earlier lyrics and reconsider how the relationship deteriorates. Is there any real revelation? The record guides us through the idealized phase of a relationship that still ends without a happy ending. What was once so good ending now finds Rodrigo pleading for honesty. (“Tell me something honest so the memories turn dark.”) This marks the saddest point in the progression of love. The song tapers off with Rodrigo asking for the memories to become painful. Can she get one final thing from her lover? If we learned anything from the record, it’s that it’s okay to let things be. You don’t always need what you want.

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—Dawson Therre

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