With Her Third Album, Olivia Rodrigo Cements Herself as Gen Z's Rockstar

When Olivia Rodrigo debuted "drivers license" in 2021, I was weary of the hype. This was quite possibly due to my own loathing of driving; the day I got my license I almost cried, and they weren't happy tears. But eventually, I came around, devouring SOUR and impatiently waiting for its follow-up, GUTS. One of my favorite genres is rock 'n roll, with a penchant for music pre-1990. So when Rodrigo announced her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and riddled it with references to classic rock, I found myself impatiently waiting for the new release. It dropped today, and after listening to it twice, I'm inclined to say that I'm impressed.

Across Rodrigo's three albums, I have appreciated that there are literally no skips. Every song is clean, tight and punchy in its own way. She is one of the few artists whose work I will listen to in chronological order. This is true for you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, though I did have some standouts: "drop dead," "stupid song," "begged," "less" and "expectations."

I was particularly curious about this album because of its stylistic references to The Cure's 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. "Friday I'm In Love," from the band's 1992 album, Wish, is one of my favorite songs, so when Rodrigo dropped a casual reference to "Just Like Heaven" (track eight on Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me) and released album artwork with curly letters harkening back to the band's own titular font, I knew we were in for a ride. She even brings on the band's frontman, Robert Smith, for a duet in "what's wrong with me."

In rooting you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love in '80s rock, Rodrigo retains her punk edge that endeared me to her in the first place. However, this time around the sharpness has been softened. Whereas SOUR and GUTS were a teenager's raging, petulant (non-derogatory) examinations of young love consuming one's entire world, you seem pretty sad is wiser and more introspective. What I found commendable (and what I feel Rodrigo's one-time idol Taylor Swift is struggling with right now), is that the Gen Z pop star has kept a sonic identity that feels familiar while evolving as an artist. Tracks like "begged,"maggots for brains" and "less" harkened back to "pretty isn't pretty" and "lacy," "ballad of a homeschool girl," "drivers license," "vampire" and "1 step forward, 3 steps back" while feeling more mature. She also draws inspiration from '80s pop: "expectations," the penultimate track, instantly brought to mind Madonna's 1984 hit "Material Girl."

What I found most masterful about Rodrigo's new album is that it tells a story, every song a new chapter. Moving through every track was like peeling back another layer of a tale destined for a tragic ending. The lyrics are diaristic without being childish, while still reflecting that Rodrigo is very much a young woman learning to move through the world. "begged" in particular had an ethereal quality in the minutiae of the details—being a penny in a fountain, or snow on a mountain. "cigarette smoke," though not my favorite (like I said, though, no skips), was brilliant in the way it treated the album like a novel. The lyrics make several references to preceding songs, including "honeybee" and "begged;" having this full-circle moment gives it a literary, story-like structure that cements Rodrigo's ingenuity as a writer.

Overall the album is snappy, coming in at just under an hour with 13 songs. With tight, lyrical writing and an inspired yet distinct sonic footprint, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is Rodrigo confidently coming into her early adulthood—and declaring that she's the rockstar of her generation.