Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR Meets Sweet Success

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Olivia Rodrigo released her new album, Sour, on March 21st. (Source: Lauren Choy (III))

Child actress and now singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo is dominating the charts with her debut album, SOUR. First known for acting and singing in Disney productions such as High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Bizaardvark, she is taking her music to the next level with her new album.

SOUR was co-written by Rodrigo and producer Daniel Nigro. The album release was preceded by three singles: “Drivers License,” “Deja Vu” and “Good 4 U.” Two of these singles, “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U,” debuted as the number one spot in the Billboard Hot 100, making SOUR the first debut album to have two singles at the top of the charts. SOUR itself debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was the most anticipated album on Apple Music.

Although influenced by many different genres, SOUR draws mostly from pop and bedroom pop. Rodrigo states in an interview with NYLON that she wanted SOUR to be “super versatile” and “an intersection between mainstream pop, folk music and alternative rock.”

A fan of the resulting production, Boston Latin School student Michaelena Capogreco (III) remarking how “Good 4 U” was her favorite song, says, “The drums are amazing in this song. I’m a sucker for songs that showcase percussion, what can I say?”

Angela Guan (III) also appreciates the genre influences, stating, “‘Brutal’ and ‘Good 4 U’ both have that 2000s rock style that I really like.”

In addition to being a chart topper, SOUR also received widespread critical ac- claim — it has a rating of 83 out of 100 on Metacritic, a website that accumulates reviews for popular forms of entertainment.

While the album also received some criticism for being too concentrated on heartache, Capogreco remarks that this thematic focus only positively impacted her opinion of the album: “SOUR is special for me because I find it relatable despite the fact that I have never been in a relationship before.” She furthers, “I think that many teenagers, myself included, have those days where they feel insecure about themselves, and that’s one of the main topics discussed in Rodrigo’s songs. […] It’s nice to be able to relate to the album on a personal level.”

Rodrigo’s beginning experimentations in the music industry are certainly ground- breaking, and many are excited to see what the future holds for her. Guan says, “I’m excited to see her experiment more stylistically and with her voice, and her future music after she’s moved on from the love story that she’s conveying.”