Earlier this year, we were first introduced to Olivia Rodrigo, following the success of her song, “Driver’s License”. It probably didn’t take long for you to sing alon to the song. Yes, I’m guilty of doing it too.
Fast forward to May 21st, Olivia released her debut album, SOUR.
First impression when hearing the opening track, “brutal,” it has an alt-rock sound to it, very different from what we heard in “Driver’s License”. It’s reminiscent of the 90’s/early 2000’s pop-punk bands. I get a very Paramore vibe from the song. It’s a strong start.
As the album progresses, it’s easy to hear within each song that Olivia has mixed both indie-pop and pop-punk into her sound. Honestly, she really made it work.
In each song, I can clearly hear influences from the people she’s said to have been influenced by; I heard bits of Lorde in her songs, bits of Hayley Williams, and bits of Taylor Swift. It’s plain to see that she was heavily influenced by each artist. Especially during the album’s sixth track, “good 4 u”. That’s where you really hear the Hayley influence.
This is the kind of album that makes you relive your teenage heartbreak. It’s beautiful, it’s heart-rending, and it’s emotional. Every song on this album is absolutely magnificent and Olivia sings heartbreak very well. The production and quality of lyrics are incredible too.
This may only be the beginning for the rising star, but it’s clear to see that Olivia has a huge future in the music industry and I look forward to hearing more from her.