SOUR Power

AURORA MUIR

In an Instagram post marking 13 years since the release of 7 Things, Miley Cyrus reposted a tweet proclaiming Olivia Rodrigo’s good 4 u to be the 2021 Disney equivalent of Miley’s breakout single. It’s a fair comparison: both tracks feature breakneck pop-punk choruses and bitter reflections on breakups at the hands of another Disney starlet. 7 Things is the lead single off Miley’s first album independent from her Disney character and successfully cemented her as an artist in her own right. Recently we have seen the same for 18-yearold Rodrigo with the immense success of her three singles and debut album SOUR, released May 21, 2021.

We can view Olivia not just on the pipeline from Disney kid to mainstream pop girl, but also as an up-and-coming Taylor Swift prodigy. Aged three upon the release of Swift’s debut album, Rodrigo has barely known the world without the impact of Taylor Swift. Taylor’s song writing influence shines clear in SOUR, a glittering album articulating the emotions behind a public relationship. Swift, too, has her own Disney Channel connections, including a cameo appearance in Hannah Montana: The Movie, linking all players deeper into the Disney star-making factory.

Apart from her song writing influence, we have already seen the impact of Swift’s place in the music industry on young Olivia. She says Taylor’s fight to gain ownership of her master recordings has inspired her to ensure she retains control of hers. Fans have also suggested that perhaps the starlet’s next project will take on the Swiftian form of a sister album entitled ‘Sweet’ (inspired by ‘folklore’/’evermore’). Someone so embedded in the lore of Taylor Swift might be more likely to take similar industry risks earlier in her career, though we should remember the level of success Swift had before making these moves. This line could be interesting for Olivia to walk as she continues to find her feet in the industry.

Another similarity is her collaboration with writer/producer Dan Nigro. Perhaps we are seeing the rise of another writer/producer duo, à la Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff in Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro. The 39-year-old Nigro is a former member of small 2000s indie rock band As Tall As Lions, and has been writing and producing with bigger artists since 2011. He could foreseeably serve as Antonoff for a younger crowd, having seen success with not only Olivia but also in YouTuber turned singersongwriter, Conan Gray. I find it hard to grasp what it is about these younger women/older man writer/ producer partnerships, but somehow, they prove to be working.

SOUR front to back feels like riding a wave, repeatedly building listeners up with poprock guitar-driven anthems like brutal and jealousy, jealousy only to crash down to often sparse, interspersed ballads such as favourite crime and 1 step forward, 3 steps back. This rollercoaster reflects the mood swings, drama and romance tied to teenage-girlhood while keeping us interested in the album-long exploration of a single storyline. All but three of the 11 tracks (appear to) directly address the breakdown and aftermath of her relationship with High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Basset. As fans understand it, Josh and Olivia dated before he broke up with her and began dating actress/singer Sabrina Carpenter.

The lyrics are free from pretence, coming across as honest and vulnerable. Olivia admits, “I wore makeup when we dated ‘cause I thought you’d like me more,” in enough for you, and on favourite crime, lists the heartbreaking sacrifices she made to be with her ex. Her description of a relationship as criminal feels particularly Swiftian:

“And I watched as you fled the scene Doe-eyed as you buried me One heart broke, four hands bloody.”

Her graceful treatment of the breakup is another strength, as Olivia markedly avoids tearing down her ex’s new partner on happier: “But she’s beautiful/she’s kind./ She probably gives you butterflies.” It’s a refreshing, feminist take on a trope that would traditionally position women as adversaries.

1 step forward, 3 steps back is another highlight as Oliva interpolates the piano sequence of Swift’s ‘New Year’s Day ’. It’s a savvy move that only an engaged fan would make. By interpolating the track rather than sampling it directly, Swift and Antonoff alone are paid songwriting credits, rather than the private-equity company that owns the original recording of New Year’s Day’ It contrasts Taylor’s original use of the lilting piano. New Year’s Day paints a sparkly picture of moments with a lover, while Oliva details the rollercoaster of her ex’s unpredictable behaviour:

“And maybe in some masochistic way I kinda find it all exciting Like, which lover will I get today? Will you walk me to the door or send me home cryin’?”

The closing track, hope ur ok, differs from the album’s primary subject matter and lets down a largely strong work. A younger audience might find solace in Olivia’s well wishes to a young gay boy faced with homophobia and a girl living in an unsupportive family. However, the attempt at endearing storytelling falls short of inspiring in the face of my personal early-20s cynicism. “But, God, I hope that you’re happier today/’Cause I love you/ And I hope that you’re okay”. Despite the arguably cringey lyrics, the bridge and production gleam with the sophistication of early Lorde,proving Oliva is still a hugely capable singer/songwriter.

Olivia has absorbed the work of female pop stars before her and is putting these lessons to good use. She is reaching success far and beyond that of the Disney trailblazers a generation before her and has proved to be more than a one-hit viral phenomenon. Upon release, SOUR peaked at number one in ten international charts and has received high ratings from major music publications, with Michael Gragg of the Guardian calling it “the perfect soundtrack to a first breakup”. It’s unique for an artist to debut at such high levels of acclaim and I am so excited to see where the rest of her career takes her.