On March 24, a mural appeared at the corner of Melrose and Syracuse Avenue in Los Angeles. The picture was painted Olivia Rodrigo’s signature purple and stamped with her logo; it immediately drew attention from fans hoping it might signal the long-awaited release of her third studio album.
Over the next week, the mural was repainted daily. The iconic purple eventually became a soft pink, now featuring the word “love.” Fans tracked updates on social media, anticipating a new era of music from their favorite pop star.
The occurrence of the word “love” caused a particular uproar in speculation. Rodrigo’s first two albums, “SOUR” and “GUTS,” followed a four-letter title trend. It was widely assumed her next project would do the same, and many speculated that “love” was the title they had been waiting for.
On April 2, Rodrigo confirmed the release of her third album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” set to drop June 12.
The title seems to mark a shift in Rodrigo’s creative brand. By breaking the four-letter name trend and her conventional color scheme, this new project suggests that Rodrigo is looking to explore what lies beyond the box the music industry has put her in.
This shift, however, might be cause for concern amongst fans. Without the heartbreak that helps define her biggest hits, will Rodrigo be able to maintain the intensity that has consistently made her music so widely relatable?
Fans can only hope she will accomplish a shift in musical identity without sacrificing the staple sound that makes her the beloved artist she is today. However, there is hope that change will be less dramatic than it appears.
Rodrigo’s songwriting ability has always been strikingly versatile, balancing dancey, sarcastic pop tracks like “love is embarrassing” with slower, emotionally gut-punching songs like “the grudge.” She has consistently proven her ability to shift seamlessly across genres, moving from pop-punk on “good 4 u,” to folk-leaning country on “girl i’ve always been,” to stripped-down heartbreak ballads like “driver’s license” with ease. She is one of few artists that can unite genres under one voice the way that she does.
Hopefully, Rodrigo will continue to demonstrate her ability to master a variety of musical styles and contexts on her new album. And if the title suggests anything, there will be plenty of pop songs about heartbreak for the sad girls out there to enjoy.
I love Olivia smmmm