I love Olivia Rodrigo’s new album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” and strongly believe it is the best contender so far for the album of the year” award at the 2027 Grammys. She takes the medium of an album and transforms it into a full story about a single love coming together and falling apart, compelling listeners with her lyricism and new sounds that expand her artistry.
Rodrigo, 23, is a pop star who has established herself as one of the most influential pop artists of her time despite having released only three albums. She is known for both her upbeat songs like “good 4 u” and “deja vu” as well as heartbreaking, confessional songs like “drivers license” and “enough for you” from her previous albums.
With a long time until the Grammys, current and upcoming competitors include Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Ariana Grande, all artists with solid discographies and established art. While albums such as Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” have a few really good songs such as “Elizabeth Taylor” and “Opalite,” the album does not succeed in creating a cohesive work of art like Rodrigo’s album does.
Rodrigo does not mash songs together on a tracklist in any order, she instead places them in a distinct storyline so that when a listener hears the album in order, they fully understand the story she is conveying about the blossoming of a new love and then slowly wilting into sadness.
Every song feels intentional, every track sounds like a finished piece and not something thrown in the album to fill up space. Even songs like “expectations” that seem to contrast with the tracks surrounding it fit into Rodrigo’s narrative, which is that the endings of a relationship are complex, ranging from crying to dancing.
Fresh sounds, nuanced storytelling
Rodrigo displays significant growth in her writing with the new album, balancing a maturity that was not as present in her previous albums “GUTS” and “SOUR.” An example of this is in her song “the cure.” In this song, Rodrigo explores a realization that a romantic relationship will not solve the internal insecurities that are buried deeply inside of her.
“My head is full of poison and my heart is full of doubt. I got toxins in my bloodstream, you tried hard to suck them out.”
Rodrigo explores newer sounds in this album, allowing the art to contain emotions that stem from certain musical choices. In her song “honeybee,” Rodrigo includes orchestral-like instrumentals, serving as the bridge and contributing to the sentimental tones of the first half of the album.
While the concept of an album following one distinct romantic relationship through its highs and lows is not a new idea, Rodrigo pulls it off in a way that feels both fresh and nuanced.
With a long time to go before the Grammys take place, this album makes Rodrigo the early hard-to-beat favorite.
Eliana Aguilar is a member of the class of 2027 at Valley Christian High School in San Jose.
Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Program for Bay Area high school students, an intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.