Olivia Rodrigo is an up-and-coming superstar and is quickly rising to fame both on-screen and behind the microphone. The 18-year-old star has been quickly getting global recognition lately as the star of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+.
Her career as a musician continues to reach new heights as well with each single that she releases. Currently, she has released three songs — driver’s license, deja vu, and good 4 u, all of which have received rave reviews from critics and fans. This coming May 21, Olivia Rodrigo is set to release her very first album entitled, ‘Sour’.
my debut album SOUR out may 21st ahhhh pic.twitter.com/JSBsUSgOwj
— Olivia Rodrigo (@Olivia_Rodrigo) April 13, 2021
As we count the days prior to the album’s release, here’s a breakdown of her first three singles which will all make it to her debut album:
driver’s license
The single “Driver’s License” steered Rodrigo’s musical career in the right direction. “Drivers License” broke a string of records, including the Spotify record for the most single-day streams and the biggest first-week release for a song on Spotify and Amazon. The song decimated the US Billboard Top 100 as one of the most dominant number-one hits in history and made Rodrigo the youngest artist ever to debut on the top of the charts. The song drives home the feeling of heartbreak and the difficult situation of letting go of a relationship that clearly was not meant to be. The music video has a youthful and indie vibe which gives us a picture of the type of artist that Rodrigo aims to be. The addition of car sounds as additional imagery brings a fresh element to the song while still being comfortably familiar and relatable at the same time. Despite being a heartbreaking song, “Driver’s License” catchy rhythm is guaranteed to give you LSS the whole week once you listen to it.
deja vu
Rodrigo perfectly depicts the feeling of deja vu when we enter into a new relationship and find ourselves saying or doing the same things with our former partner. Rodrigo writes from the perspective of the one left behind and narrates to her ex how weird it feels to do the same things all over again. And while the songs that she writes and produces continue to change in mood, tempo, and style, they all still have an overarching message. This shows how consistent she is in telling a story from one song that continues on to the next, while also proving to us the wide range that she has as an artist. Deja Vu’s music video is also a great contrast to the first release and a juxtaposition to the message and overall vibes of the song, with its eye-catching and color-popping visuals.
good 4 u
The track “good 4 u” came as a shocker and an unexpected trip down memory lane for us. In the most drastic turn for the artist in terms of sound, this pop-rock alternative track is nostalgic in every way possible. There are hints of Haley Williams from Paramore and Amy Lee from Evanescence in the style of the song and the quality of Rodrigo’s voice for this song. All the heavy rock fans will surely take a trip down memory lane with this song as it conveys a sarcastic message perfectly designed for your ex. Furthermore, the music video is done brilliantly as a nod to cult classic films such as Princess Diaries and Jennifer’s Body.
A Unique Promotion Campaign
Rodrigo made her first guest appearance on Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) episode last May 15 and performed “driver’s license” and “good 4 u”.
Check out Olivia Rodrigo’s Performances on SNL
During the commercial break, an interesting promo for her album was released styled like a nostalgic infomercial referencing her previously released singles and music videos. The Sour Promo asks the brokenhearted viewers “Suffer from a broken heart? Do you eat strawberry ice cream at every meal? Do you want to scream real loud? The next time you’re heartbroken, don’t get sweet. Get Sour by Olivia Rodrigo.” Together with this promo was an actual hotline, 323-622-SOUR (7687), that fans could call for Rodrigo to comfort with snippets of the 11 songs featured on her upcoming album. How we wish that we could call that hotline as well from the Philippines and get a sneak peek from that album.
.@Olivia_Rodrigo gives fans a taste of her debut album #SOUR when they call the hotline, 323-622-SOUR. 📞💜
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) May 17, 2021
What we love the most about her songs and artistry is the raw emotion that she pours out in her delivery and songwriting. Despite still in the early stages of her career, she already has the ability to establish herself as an artist while not being boxed in by the expectations of producers, studios, or anyone around her. We hope however that Rodrigo does not fall into the stereotypical teenager-star trap like those who have gone before her. We are, however, ecstatic for Olivia Rodrigo to release Sour this May 21 as we have an intense “huge” session with the album on repeat.
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