OR3 Insights
The superstar’s third LP, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, is out now
Olivia Rodrigo is more than just pretty sad on her third album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. Over 13 tracks, the superstar depicts all the beautiful, ugly, and heart-wrenching emotions that come with being in love in a real, grown-up way. It’s been three years since Rodrigo’s last release, 2023’s Guts, and in that time she’s not just grown older, but wiser too — and her music reflects this hard-won maturity. She’s tapping into a new sonic palette and expanding her songwriting. Here are our key takeaways from the new project.
She Is More Than Just Wise Beyond Her Years Now
Rodrigo has proven herself time and time again as a masterful writer of bruised ballads and scorned break-up anthems. It’s literally what introduced her to the world. But on You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, she dives into the gray areas of romantic relationships. She’s not belting about outright betrayal like on Sour or taking quippy shots at an ex like on Guts; instead, Rodrigo creates a disquieting unease throughout the album. On “Maggots For Brains,” she describes separation anxiety from a relationship with detailed lines like, “Everything feels moldy / Like the fruit that’s in my fridge.” The crushing one-two punch of “Less” and “Cigarette Smoke” are soft-sounding ruminations about the end of a relationship that find her coming to harsh realizations like “If loving me means saying ‘Babe, I think this is the end’ Well I guess I wish I wish I wish / You loved me less” and admitting, “I resent you / For not being brave.” —M.G.
