With the announcement of Olivia Rodrigo’s third album coming any day now, it’s the perfect time to look back at her exquisite no-skip discography and name her best songs.
The closing track to Rodrigo’s 11-song debut album, “SOUR”, tells the stories of Rodrigo’s childhood friends who she’s no longer in touch with. In this heartbreaking track, Rodrigo reflects on the traumatic upbringings of her friends. The song is an LGBTQ+ anthem, known for resonating with the community, many of whom find comfort in Rodrigo’s touching words: “Well, I hope you know how proud I am you were created. With the courage to unlearn all of their hatred. But, God, I hope that you’re happier today. ‘Cause I love you. And I hope that you’re okay.”
The significance of this track goes beyond its delicately-crafted lyrics, serving as a bold statement of allyship and support in these trying times. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter is no stranger to activism, as she frequently speaks out about human rights issues and even created a global initiative, “Fund 4 Good”, in support of an equitable future for all women and girls.
This honest and introspective track from the deluxe version of Rodrigo’s “GUTS” album reveals an internal battle of conflicting emotions. Rodrigo describes her struggle with self-vulnerability and uncertainty in her relationship through her fear of her guitar. “But I’m so scared of my guitar. ‘Cause it cuts right through to the heart. Yeah, it knows me too well, so I got no excuse. I can’t lie to it the same way that I lie to you.”
The prominent acoustic guitar strums combined with the noticeable pain in Rodrigo’s voice, serve as emotional catalysts in this captivating ballad. The metaphor that compares Rodrigo’s fear of her true feelings to her fear of her guitar is a powerful representation of the level of vulnerability that songwriting exposes.
Serving as one big metaphor, the “SOUR” track delves into the idea of being partially responsible for a failed relationship, exploring the concept of learning to forgive yourself for allowing yourself to get hurt. Rodrigo reflects on how her heart was broken because she allowed someone into her heart in the first place: “One heart broke, four hands bloody. The things I did. Just so I could call you mine.”
The reason this song stands out is because it represents the idea of self-responsibility. You will never be able to control the way people treat you, but you can control how you respond to that and whether or not you allow yourself to stick around someone who treats you poorly.
A change in pace from the rest of the songs on this list, this catchy and upbeat track is a positive outlook on being the person you’ve always been, no matter what. A story of accepting your imperfections as a part of who you are and not letting people hold that against you. Rodrigo’s resilience represented in this song from the deluxe version of “GUTS” is truly inspirational. “And as I’m walkin’ out that door. Say you don’t know me anymore. I have captors I call friends. I got panic rooms inside my head. I get down with crooked men. But I am the girl I’ve always been.” Rodrigo transforms the attempted insult of her character into a compliment by proclaiming that it’s the girl she’s always been.
Once you listen to this song, you’ll never get it out of your head, as the infectious melodies are all-consuming.
One of Rodrigo’s most relatable and soul-crushing tracks, marked by its representation of an ex-partner who moved on too quickly. The betrayal of trust described in this “SOUR’ track makes Rodrigo rethink her entire former relationship with this person. “You betrayed me. And I know that you’ll never feel sorry for the way I hurt, yeah. You talked to her when we were together. Loved you at your worst, but that didn’t matter. It took you two weeks to go off and date her. Guess you didn’t cheat, but you’re still a traitor.”
Rodrigo perfectly captures the complex emotions of feeling let down by someone who you trusted, even though you’re no longer together. By definition, their behavior wasn’t cheating, but that doesn’t lessen the emotional toll it had on you. You’re left to pick up the pieces, reeling from their actions just the same.
