Rodrigo began teasing a follow-up single in late March 2021 by archiving her previous Instagram posts and posting cryptic teasers on her social media accounts; on March 29, she revealed the title and set a release date of three days later, assuring fans that the announcement was not an April Foolsâ Day joke. Rodrigo also revealed the artwork for the song in the same post. Rodrigo preceded the news with three enigmatic flickering snippets including a melting ice cream cone, Rodrigo strolling through drifting clouds, and a vehicle being driven along the ocean, which Nylon's Steffanee Wang interpreted as a connection to the lyrics of âDeja Vuâ. Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro wrote all tunes; Nigro produced all tracks.
SOUR is a conventional and predictable album about breakups. A compilation of similar-sounding ballads, it mostly follows the format of her chart-topping single "drivers license": muted melancholy verses, shouted chorus, and layered vocal effect on the bridge. Although her indie girl voice is superior to the majority, she sometimes has a disagreeable tone with belting that rapidly becomes flat and monotonous. "good 4 u" and "jealously jealousy" do an admirable job of keeping things lighthearted with their angst-ridden pop... read more
This was a MASSIVELY gratifying surprise. I had only heard Drivers License before to Olivia Rodrigo's appearance on Saturday Night Live. I loved her performance of Good 4 U on the program (as well as Drivers License) and decided to give SOUR a listen in the hope of discovering a few more gems. OMG! There are no duds here; each of the 11 tunes is an absolute delight of melodic music. At moments, she reminds me of Billie Eilish, and at others, Taylor Swift (and the slow, softer part of Good 4 U sounds like Marian Hill). While it may seem as like she is borrowing from these performers, she infuses everything with her unique style, which is almost guaranteed to garner her multiple Grammy nods this year. Who Is the Best New Artist? Year's best album, song, or record? I find it difficult to believe she will not be nominated in all four of those categories. This is an outstanding first album. Musically and thematically, the songs are quite approachable. The only criticism I have is that it is only 35 minutes long, but I've had it on repeat for five days and haven't grown tired of it yet, so it's a very good 35 minutes!
Among Rodrigo's several inspirations, she most visibly models her style after Taylor Swift, whose work she frequently and vehemently praises. Rodrigo, like her hero, fuels mental pain with specificsâa Billy Joel song she and her ex listened to together, the self-help books she studied to please him. She has said that Swift's âCruel Summerâs shouty bridge was a direct inspiration for her own in âdeja vuâ; â1 step forward, 3 steps backâ interpolates the reputation song âNew Year's Day.â And then openly chastising a heartbreaker before sauntering out with the last word? How evocatively Swiftian.
