Hi everyone, What'sthony Wrong?tano here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it's time for a review of this new Olivia Rodrigo album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.

This is the latest album from California pop singer-songwriter, Miss Olivia Rodrigo, who is now on album no. 3 after seeing breakout and growing success off her first two albums, Sour and GUTS — records that were deceptively simple combinations of dramatic ballads, pop rock, and a little bit of pop punk too, but still packed an emotional punch and thoughtful songwriting. It seems with this new record Olivia is complicating things even more, not just with a title that I know I am going to say incorrectly a bunch of times if I am not careful, but also with a tracklist that tells the story of a relationship that runs its course, from those initial points of infatuation to Olivia realizing things aren't mutual or aren't really working out, and that she deserves better.

From what I've gathered, it seems like this final result wasn't necessarily mapped out to begin with on this record, but we ended up here through some smart sequencing and reading the tea leaves in the songs as they were being written and developed. In a way, that does put you seem pretty sad in the concept album category (if you want to use the C-word). At the very least, the album tells a story — more of a story than her past two records, certainly — and the super dense and lush instrumentation all over this album contributes to that quality, too.

Obvious kudos are owed to Olivia's longtime collaborator and producer Dan Nigro, who really helps make some key points of this album sound so fantastical and storybook. Take the opening track "drop dead," for example, which is a punchy pop tune with a synthy, new wave undercurrent to it, some talk-sung bits — a Dan Nigro calling card at this point, given how these same sorts of things pop up on many a Chappell Roan song — but the driving guitars, bright vocal harmonies, and of course, the whimsical string touches make it feel so specifically Olivia, and specifically this album. Olivia's lyrics add to this 'world of wonder' feeling the album kicks off with, making comparisons of her significant other to that of an angel on the wall of Versailles, but then also peppering in signs of chaotic emotions and unhinged behavior, like a little bit of internet stalking and throwing up, just to bring in some elements of humor and grit.

Many of these same amazing qualities carry over onto the following "stupid song," which, at its core, is a piano ballad with plenty of classic Olivia-isms that you will certainly remember from tracks like "Vampire" and "Driver's License." Once again we get those powerful, expressive lead vocals. But what brings this song to a new level is that Olivia and Dan really produce the hell out of it, with these awesome, visceral, danceable drum passages that have this Killers' "Mr. Brightside" momentum to them, and an instrumental palette that is always introducing something new: some different layer, a new level of volume with each passing chord. I also love how repeatedly all of it drops out underneath Olivia as she sings the line, "Any stupid song could ever say," only for it to build up once again, and again, and again, until we reach the final, most powerful crescendo of them all, where Olivia's clearly improved vocal chops pay off heavily.

It's really an amazing rollercoaster of a track, and it's one of the most finely and interestingly assembled pop songs we are going to hear in 2026.

But, this record is not just simply an exercise in density and pop maximalism, because versatility, as well as Olivia and Dan giving nods to some of their most important musical touchstones, is important on this album, too. Following this, we have "honeybee," which is a pretty radical change-up given that it's really just a stripped-back piano ballad. I'll say, personally, I'm not completely crazy about how the pacing of this song offsets the momentum of the record itself, but I still do like the songwriting and the gorgeous strings, as well as the wintry vocal harmonies that are worked in. Plus, this track does add lyrically to the record, planting the seeds of doubt that will show up later in the tracklist. Who doesn't love a little foreshadowing?

By comparison, "maggots for brains" is a little bit more of a thrill, with some very clear The Cure and new wave influences coming through on the beat, as well as those ghostly, twangy guitar leads. And while this track's about being in love too, it's also very much about those romantic withdrawals that Olivia is feeling during moments when she can't be around this person. Feeling like a zombie, having maggots for brains: it's a bittersweet center at the core of what otherwise sounds like a really captivating, idyllic pop tune.

"u + me = <3" is another throwback moment on the record. It's a light, fluffy rock tune with a jangle pop twist to it, given some of the sparkly guitar layers, as well as Olivia's vocal lines, which see her really holding on to each note at the end of each line.

Now, the middle section of the record is where things begin to get turbulent. "my way" is the closest Olivia and Dan really get to making a gruffer, rougher rock song on this record. (If any song on this LP is gonna open up the pit, it's probably gonna be this one.) There's definitely a fuzzy, distorted veneer to it — some blown-out drums, too. The track is all about this confrontation she's having with an ex that is still obsessed with her partner, stepping in to remind her that she lost and tell her off. While I think some can most definitely listen to this track and take it for what it is in terms of messaging on the surface, there are layers to it, because I do think Olivia and Dan are trying to continue depicting different shades of this crush here, showing that Olivia's emotions are putting her in a place where this insane jealousy and perception of romantic threats and competition is driving her mad.

I have to say, I think the song "Purple" is maybe my least favorite on the album. Stylistically, it just feels like a very vague middle ground between some fuzzy bedroom pop and indietronica. I'm not fully sure where it wants to land; I think it's got the least memorable tune on the entire LP as well. Even this lyrical messaging around one person being blue, one person being red, and them forming a purple vision — this has been explored in pop songwriting before, and Olivia's take on it isn't exactly blowing me away. I do think this track adds to the overall narrative of the album in terms of continuing to cast doubt, sure, but that's something the following track "the cure" already does better.

I'll say it again, "the cure" was an incredible single; it sounds amazing in the tracklist, too. I'm loving the mix of riffs and vibes that are clearly making nods toward Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, and Elliott Smith. The driving alt-rock guitars, building strings, and soaring vocals on the back end of the track are powerful. It's great that Olivia and Dan didn't blow off all their fireworks on "stupid song," and I love how, lyrically, Olivia dives further into her insecurities and fears on this one, too, as well as her overthinking getting the better of her — the realization that there's maybe some dependency going on here that isn't necessarily healthy.

Now, pretty much all the tracks in the final section of this record are spent working through the difficult realization that Olivia is giving more than she's getting in this dynamic. On "begged" — which is this eerie, beautiful, fingerpicked acoustic number with a heart-wrenching vocal performance — Olivia continues to have that musical theater kid inside her, ready to pull on your heartstrings when needed, but doesn't lean into it so aggressively that it takes away from this track's power as a pop song predominantly. I also love the storytelling at this moment of the record, where things have settled into this quiet sadness, where you're quietly accepting way less than you should.

There's also "what's wrong with me?" featuring Robert Smith, a track that I do have some mixed feelings on. On one hand, I love the melody, the songwriting, and Robert and Olivia's vocal chemistry. I just wish the production didn't feel so stale and hollow in a way, especially at the start with that super muddy snare that's slathered in this small, shower stall echo. Maybe the drum production could have been inspired by earlier, more darkwave era Cure records, but if that was the reference point, I think the whole thing could have been made to sound more interesting. Still, the qualities that I like about this track more than make up for this, and I am left at least a little choked up every single time they sing the chorus together on this one.

With "less" we get yet another piano ballad, but honestly Olivia and Dan saved the best one for last, as this one has a very slow, patient, almost jazzy twist to it. The singing and storytelling is laid out so poetically and so bare that you feel every single line. It's clear on this one how Olivia has really graduated in terms of being able to channel a higher level of emotions in her vocal performance. The desperation in her voice as she describes being loved so much she's being let go of— and wanting to be loved less as a result.

Thankfully, the mood and the vibes get picked up on the next track, "expectations," which sort of has an LCD Soundsystem "I Can Change" arrangement to it. It's some buzzing synth pop with an almost Buggles-level campiness to it that I like. Narratively, the confidence is back on this one: the personal standards have been raised to a new level, the production is groovy, the lyrical jabs that are in there are greatly appreciated, the sense of humor is coming through, and the metamorphosis is complete. It's a happy ending of sorts, even if we are alone at this point, because at least we're loving and appreciating ourselves.

In a lot of ways, I feel like Olivia could have left things off here, but we actually move into a very sad epilogue on "cigarette smoke." It's somehow another powerful ballad in this tracklist, where she is very much going over the regret and the lingering bitter, sad feelings that are left after all this. Because even if there was an element of learning and growth to this whole process, clearly for Olivia there are still some feelings saying, "Hey, this was a bit of a waste, and I would have preferred to have not gone through it entirely, frankly." (I can't really blame her, honestly.) I love how lyrically, we're getting some references and callbacks to elements earlier on the album like "honeybee." It goes to show how much of a macro-picture approach she and Dan were taking to this album once they had all of their ducks in a row in terms of the songs.

Overall, I love this record; it's Olivia's best. I'm not gonna say 'by a mile,' or anything like that, because GUTS and Sour were not pop records to sneeze at, for sure. I know there are a lot of critics, music commentators, and fans right now celebrating the success of this record and the quality that it's brought to the table, but as good as this record is, it's really just a series of confirmations of what we already knew.

Olivia has been a talented songwriter; she and Dan Nigro have already proven themselves to be a great team. If you seem pretty sad is doing anything, it's really upping the ante on everything: on the instrumentation, on the emotional performances, on the thoughtful production and arrangements (while also bringing in a storytelling element to boot), and also employing a lot of tasteful nods toward some of Olivia's and Dan's biggest influences.

If there's anything holding this record back, maybe it's a little bloated, with a few songs not adding that much to the overall narrative, in my opinion. Sometimes, simplified pop interpretations of some of these old alternative trends in music do come across maybe slightly pedestrian — not quite as potent as the real thing — but it's certainly close enough and still works as an earnest homage, and it frankly is more interesting than many of the pop punk vibes that were being embraced on past records.

While I may not enjoy any of The Cure-inspired sounds on this record more than I do on a literal The Cure album itself, this is something I could easily see Olivia and Dan working on more on future projects, incorporating greater influences as they both mature as songwriters/producers.

Olivia really showed out on this one, though. Great record; killer album. I'm feeling a strong 8 to a light 9 on it.

Anthony Fantano. Olivia Rodrigo. Forever.