sour

It's been a week since Olivia Rodrigo's SOUR debuted and a few days of me trying to figure how to put into words the way this album made me feel. I was weirdly looking forward to the release. I felt giddy to listen to the album as a whole. When I woke up the morning of its release, I felt like my Friday morning was made. 

So it came as a surprise that when I first listened to it, I didn't feel an instant connection. I felt disappointed. Almost as if my expectations were too high. I started writing down some of my thoughts for this blog post right after listening to it and they weren't entirely positive. It really took some time to absorb this album. 

I think the initial disconnect sprouted from the first track. The first track usually sets the mood for the rest of an album. In this case, the track, "brutal" caught me off guard. It shouldn't have come as a surprise. Olivia is going through teenage angst that I couldn't relate to in this track. It's about the problems she's facing as a teenager and one that has reached fame at such a young age. So for the rest of the album, I had that not-so-great first impression. Plus, it didn't help that I was listening to this as I got ready for work and I wasn't really listening. 

You might think, okay you didn't like it so you moved on. Wrong. There was a reason I was looking forward to this album. The story is not over. 

The next morning, I laid in bed and listened to the album again. This is usually how I prefer to listen to new albums. Early in the morning, cuddled in bed; no distractions. Taking the time to really listen. And as the week went by, I continued to listen to it sporadically and there was a reason I was excited about it. 

I was excited because Olivia knows exactly how to say what you're feeling. Her ability to tell a story, along with her catchy choruses, make this album successful in my eyes. I may not be going through a break-up at this moment, but she was able to stir emotions in me that I thought I'd long gotten over. She's able to transport you to times when you have felt heartbroken; times, when you've felt, cheated on, unappreciated. She makes you want to cry and scream and tell your ex to eff off, even if the break-up ended amicably. Her lyrics resonate with you. 

Not to dismiss her shared love of Taylor Swift and that beautiful sample of "New Year's Day" in "1 step forward, 3 steps back". The tears were forming when I heard that one the second time around. Both tear-jerking songs in their own ways. 

And let's talk about how "hope ur ok" makes you want to hit up your old high school friends because at one point you were the one they confided in and you hope that wherever they are, they are okay because you still care for them. Regardless of the history. 

It took some time, but Olivia's SOUR will be on repeat on my solo car rides and there's no way I'm still not blasting "deja vu" and "good 4 u" 24/7. 

Here's my ranking:

• deja vu 
• good 4 u 
• favorite crime
• enough for you 
• happier
• one step forward, three steps back
• traitor
• hope ur ok
• drivers license 
• jealousy, jealousy 
• brutal 

Have you listened to SOUR? Which were your favorite tracks? If you haven't listened, give it a chance. 💜