Not gonna lie, the Nexus office divas were fighting over who would get to review Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, SOUR. I said “if you don’t let me, it’ll be my next playlist”. Then I got a message from a friend asking “plz make your next playlist this whole album” so give the people what they want xoxo
- brutal
Hands down my favourite on the album, a stunning portrait of adolescence with a dirty guitar riff that calls back to Rogue Traders ‘Voodoo Child’.
- traitor
A big fuck you to all people who are on Ross’ side in the “we were on a break” debate; it’s not about semantics here folks, it’s about loyalty.
- drivers license
I don’t need to mansplain this song to you. She’s an icon, she’s a legend and she is The Moment.
- 1 step forward, 3 steps back
Swifties will have picked up on the fact that the piano sounds exactly like ‘New Year’s Day’. Turns out Antonoff and Swift get a writing credit; but it’s not a sample, it’s an interpolation, meaning Rodrigo played the piano herself so Scooter Braun gets no royalties. A queen.
- deja vu
Shout out to producer Dan Nigro. The real hero of this song is the nuanced production and fresh take on bedroom pop.
- good 4 u
The modern ‘Misery Business’ with less problematic lyrics and the sickest bassline.
- enough for you
We’ve all been there, bending over backwards to be the destination for someone who will never consider you more than a pit stop. Olivia brings that to life in the most heart wrenching ballad on the album.
- happier
Another melancholic piano ballad in the vein of Rihanna’s ANTI era. I may be way too invested in Disney Channel drama but it’s hard not to be when her songwriting is this visceral.
- jealousy, jealousy
Revisits the themes of femininity under atttack from ‘brutal’, and yet again I ask the question, when the fuck are we going to stop making fun of teenage girls for merely exisiting?
- favorite crime
Not my favourite track but still good. Nothing on this album is bad, but my one critique is that it needed a few more big electric guitar bangers to round out all the sad girl hours.
- hope ur ok
The last track is poetry dedicated to some specific people in Rodrigo’s life as well as her broader audience. A wonderful final send off. ❤️
