You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love - a mouthful and musical feat

You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love – an apt and perfect title for an album that makes me anxious about my non-existent romance. Nailed it, truly. 

Now, when drop dead, the first single of Olivia Rodrigo’s new album dropped, I was a smidge underwhelmed (a scrooge, really). The dreamy production mixed with rough and gritty live instrumentation did nothing for me upon first listen. Now I sit here having streamed it 24 times in a row and can officially say that I was cured of whatever ailment had me severely grouchy the day I initially listened to it. I particularly likes it when Olivia talks in the tracks and the second verse is everything I love and much more. It's saccharine, teeth-rotting, and it's so compelling that it's the very reason why is still have a Hinge account. 

Speaking of being cured (lol), the second official studio release (discounting begged which Rodrigo performed on SNL), the cure, was the single that changed my mind on the roll out because, apparently, I needed that. From its stripped guitar, whispered vocals that make every line feel like a shameful confession and lyricism discussing how she’d believed she’d found ‘the antidote’ to her own personal anxieties had me devastated upon first listen. Not to mention the strings on the closer. The orchestral swell feels like a bout of realisation which truly captures the essence of the song. It's mellow and tragic. 

These whispered, airy vocals can be found at various points on the track list, emphasising the brewing anxiety Rodrigo felt, be that on the closing track cigarette smoke or the sticky sweet and tender ballad, honeybee, there’s this discomfort brought about by this vocal performance that has me wanting to claw my way out of my skin. I especially love how the delivery ultimately impacts the meaning of the lyrics too; on the surface, if I were to read the lyrics of honeybee, I'd call it a love song a move on. But when listening, the vocals on the second part of the track by Rodrigo's long time friend and musician, Conan Gray, work to create a haunting, unnerving sound. 

In a world of synthetic production and pop stars who seem to be scared of drum kits and songs longer than two and half minutes (and even that is pushing it), the array of live instruments on this album is refreshing and I do think that is what is setting Olivia apart from her contemporaries. Of course, there are elements on the album which are reminiscent of the 80s synth-pop wave that has taken over the 2020s, but it's done so tastefully with elements of her personality shining throughout.

She might be scared of her guitar (and I might be too), but my God does she know how to use it to make some of the best music released this year. Each album of Rodrigo's is an improvement and I was already a huge fan following the release of GUTS and I’m glad that her music is continuing to develop with her and she isn’t chasing the TikTok algorithm. 

You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is an authentic and impressive feat – not to mention a mouthful to say. Not only has Rodrigo broadened her music catalogue, but she has also, clearly, broadened the amount of words she knows.