On the singers sophomore album, she goes all out with crushing rock songs and powerful piano ballads.

By Josh McCann

You have to have guts to release this kind of record. Instead of going the pop route, the drivers license star keeps steering ahead, giving us a full fledged rock album! Olivia Rodrigo could have made a cool pop record, one that is safe and satisfying for record labels and fans. But she’s not that type of artist. She has her own creative aspirations and artistic expression. The music world in general needed this type of record!

It’s already been over two years since the world first heard her smash hit, “Drivers License.” This time around, Olivia is sticking to her creative ideas, telling it like it is. It’s not the teenage dream we know, but a more real world approach in conveying the complexities of being a teenager in 2023. Themes of love, revenge, and heartache run through the record. It’s Olivia at a turning point in her life. And it’s really awesome.

The album doesn’t waste any time getting into the rock vibe. “All American Bitch” is the ultimate way to begin the in-your-face attitude. Starting with the finger picking acoustic melodies, which give way to Olivia singing along to the chorus, “I’m an All American Bitch.” I mean, you have to turn this one up! (I proudly did that on my stereo.) This would have been a hit song in the 90’s. It’s sure to become a huge favorite among fans.

“Bad Idea, Right?” keeps the punk rock vibe going, along with the vulnerability and regret of bad decisions that seem right at the time. “My brain goes ‘ahhh,’” she sings. We also say ‘ahh’ when hearing this song. Playing this jam at loud levels is NOT a bad idea!

The hit single “Vampire” pretty much dominated radio this past summer–it’s Olivia getting her piano ballad game on, which is a very strong game. On “Logical” she keeps the heartbreak going, singing “cause loving you is loving every argument you held over my head.” Powerful song. Don’t mess with her, because love is never logical.

“Pretty isn’t Pretty” has a really cool guitar sound, changing up the pace from the rest of the record. It’s one of the standouts—it doesn’t sound like anything else on the record. This needs to be placed in a movie, prefereably when there’s a breakup and the characters are trying to figure out their lives and this song plays!

One of the more fun jams on the record is “Love is Embarrassing.” It’s all about looking back on cringe worthy relationship moments. Yikes! We’ve all been there. The line “How could I be so stupid?” is so funny and relatable. Her delivery with certain lines gives the songs even more personality. This also rings true during “Lacy,” with Rodrigo’s chilling whispery vocals making it ever so sweet to hear the compelling confession.

Like some of the songs on 2021’s “Sour,” you get a sense of the 90’s influence. (She’s bringing the Breeders on her upcoming world tour.) It was a decade of screwing the status quo. Ripped jeans and flannels were all the rage. I remember wearing my Smashing Pumpkins “Zero” t-shirt to junior high. It was cool to appear depressed! On “Ballad of a Homeschooled girl,” it’s all about brash lyrics and guitar distortion. An ode to social status and how things can get messed up along the way.

There’s always a moment on an album where you just go “wow” and you’re immediately hooked on the song from the first listen. “Get him Back” is THAT SONG! The chorus is built for an arena of shouting fans, Olivia leading the frenzied crowd with lyrics about revenge. Oh it’s going to be a fun tour next year.

I think back to the end of my teenage years: going to college, stocking shelves at the grocery store, playing my telecaster in my bedroom, learning every Springsteen song from a huge book I ordered online. (Olivia is a fan of the Boss as well.) I didn’t know what to expect with my life. But I was enjoying it. A crazy time where you think you have it together but you don’t. I mean, that could be applied to any age really, which makes her music all the more universal.

The album closes with “Teenage Dream.” The title makes me think of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” Only this song isn’t about being the ideal girl. She sings, “But I fear they already got all the best parts of me, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream.” It’s interesting to see how she put her own meaning on the phrase.

“They all say that it gets better, but what if I don’t?” Olivia sings on the final track. I can say that things get better, but it’s hard to see it at first. There are unpredictable moments, which are displayed in Olivia’s music. These are coming-of-age songs to the core. She takes us to that place, going straight to the heart, guts and all.

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