Olivia Rodrigo has recently released her debut album, SOUR, with 11 songs ranging with topics from heartbreak to the struggles of being a teenager today. With 64.1 million streams on the first day, it’s easy to say that her fans- including me- were not disappointed. 

Rodrigo is known for her role as Paige in Bizaardvark and Nini in High School Musical the Musical the Series. After releasing “drivers license,” she gained a lot more attention from the media. Whether it was the amazing vocals or the love story behind the song, fans went wild.

Eight out of the 11 songs are breakup songs, but all about a different breakup. Every song that isn’t about a breakup, seems to be about how terrible it is to be a teenager today, to a point, it’s something we all can relate to. 

The album opens with “brutal,” which starts off to be a sweet song, but after the instrumental, a loud guitar piece begins. This is definitely the best song to start off her album. “brutal” is followed by “traitor” and the iconic “drivers license.” Both are amazing breakup songs, a point I can’t stress enough.

We make a turn to the next song “1 step forward, 3 steps back.” Personally, this is my least favorite song from SOUR. It just doesn’t measure up to the other songs. This song specifically is difficult to list as a break up song, as it seems to be about being in an abusive relationship. The message is a bit mixed. If you or a loved one needs help out of an abusive relationship – click here. 

Next is “deja vu,” which is another breakup song. The song grows from quiet and sweet to something that you can shout to when you’re home alone. 

From a lighter song we shift to “good 4 u,” a song with a nice bass and drums. This is more of an angry breakup song that reminds me of the ones from the 2000’s era. This song is one that you just start bopping around to because it has such a great beat. 

Another sharp turn is made, from a loud angry song, to “enough for you,”  a more sad and quiet breakup song. This one is a personal favorite. I feel like you can hear the most emotion in this song. It is just overall a really sad breakup song with a great, smooth beat.

Then the next three songs, “happier,” “jealousy, jealousy,” and “favorite crime” all carry completely different tones. “happier” and “favorite crime”  are both breakup songs. “happier” reminds me of a slow dance song, while “favorite crime” has a sweet acoustic sound. “favorite crime” has a great bridge and is another favorite of mine. “jealousy, jealousy” has a jazzy, bouncy beat and talks about how social media affects Rodrigo. This song is very relatable for many teens. 

The final track, “hope ur ok” hits the heart. She tells the stories of two friends from her youth. Both people are part of the LGBTQ+ community. The lyrics “well I hope you know how proud I am you were created” and “with the courage to unlearn all of their hatred” make the meaning very distinct. This sweet song that comforts many is the perfect ending for this fantastic album.

With the amount of breakup songs mentioning the ‘other girl’, like “drivers license” and “happier,” Rodrigo could have easily insulted her for “taking” the guy away from her, but instead she decided to compliment the girl by saying she is beautiful and kind. She even mentions how that girl makes her insecure. This proves that there is a remarkable level of maturity from Rodrigo, by sticking it to the boyfriend. 

For her first album, I can say that she is definitely off to a good start, and I am hooked. Rodrigo definitely set the bar high for her next album.