Words by Katherine Cardinale
Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, is full of many surprises. After going viral in 2021 with the release of her debut single, “drivers license,” and the success of two critically acclaimed angsty, pop-rock-inspired albums, Olivia has solidified her place as one of music’s biggest current stars. Over the course of her musical career, her aesthetic has shifted from different shades of purple to light pink, and her sound has evolved from that of a heartbroken teenage girl to one that fully demonstrates her artistic capabilities as a 20-something year old adult.
Split into two halves, “you seem pretty sad” and “a girl so in love,” the album is a 13-track long concept record that depicts the rise and fall of a relationship. The album opens with “drop dead,” a love song that served as the lead single for the album’s rollout. “drop dead” is a shift from the heartbreak theme depicted in Olivia’s previous lead singles; in it, Olivia sings about her crush and the possibility of a new relationship with him. The song was first teased via the placement of four pink padlocks that popped up in New York, London, Los Angeles, and Paris, with each lock having one word on it and all four spelling out “drop dead april 17th.” Before the song’s official release, three lyric snippets were shared. The song was premiered via live performance on TikTok thirty minutes prior to its release. “drop dead” was accompanied by a music video that was filmed at the Palace of Versailles, which was referenced in the song’s chorus.
“stupid song” is the second track on the album, and it also served as its third single. The track is a love song in which Olivia is so in love with her partner that she can’t find the words to describe her emotions surrounding the relationship. A music video featuring ballerinas running around New York City with Olivia was released to complement the track.
The theme of love continues throughout the rest of this half of the album, with both ballads like “honeybee” and upbeat tracks like “maggots for brains” “u + me = <3” outlining Olivia’s infatuation with and feelings for her partner. However, things begin to take a turn with “purple,” which ends on a note of uncertainty, with Olivia’s blue, her partner’s red, and their joint purple fades to black, which is a color often associated with negativity and darkness.
The outro of “purple” sets the tone for “the cure,” a darker song where Olivia’s relationship begins to unravel and she starts to realize that falling in love with someone won’t fix her problems and feelings about herself. Olivia has stated that this is her favorite song on the record, and it has since become a fan favorite as well. The song is a great example of Olivia’s maturation since the release of GUTS and SOUR, as it talks about the in-between of a relationship and breakup with a sound that Olivia has yet to experiment with before.
Next comes “begged,” a heart-wrenching ballad that debuted at The Echo in Los Angeles, California at the end of April. She also played it prior to its official release on SNL on May 2. In the song, Olivia wishes and asks for more affection from her partner. This song is another one of Olivia’s favorites on the album and is about a realization she had around a year ago.
“what’s wrong with me” is a career highlight for Olivia, with it being her first collaboration for an original song on a solo album. The track was debuted via live performance at Primavera Sound Festival in June and features The Cure’s Robert Smith. In the melancholy duet, Olivia realizes that her partner is the reason for her sadness. It also comes after the reference to The Cure’s famous song, “Just Like Heaven” in “drop dead.”
Olivia’s relationship with her partner continues to devolve in the final three tracks of the album, “less,” “expectations,” and “cigarette smoke.” “less” discusses Olivia’s last attempts to salvage her relationship, “expectations” talks about Olivia’s decision to set healthier standards when dating, and “cigarette smoke” uses the metaphor of cigarette smoke’s scent to describe how hard it is to move on from her ex. The song shares lyrical and thematic connections to “honeybee,” which is on the “girl so in love” side of the album.
you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is an incredible album and perfectly. encapsulates Olivia’s personal and musical growth over the past two and a half years. Olivia is embarking on a sold out major headline tour in support of the record, and you can sign up to join the waitlist for your city here. We hope to see you there!
Loudspeaker Collective 