Livies, we are so back. After to-die-for music videos and live debuts of unreleased songs, the wait is *finally* over for Olivia’s third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. Follow along (and prepare to shed a tear or two) as we take this love story chapter by chapter…
Chapter 1: Girl So In Love
drop dead:
This lead single has been on repeat since it came out on April 17. And yet? We swoon the same with each listen.
Olivia’s wistful opening track with its climbing chorus and dreamy harmonies are the *perfect* summary of that post-first-date elation. And suddenly, we feel like Olivia running through the Versailles Palace in the iconic “drop dead” music video (the most magical place to start a love story, tyvm).
This is the song that makes you want to run through flower fields with your bestie, scream-sing with the windows down and dance till you drop (dead).
Best lyric: “One night I was bored in bed and stalked you on the internet”
stupid song:
It’s a little ironic how some of our fave poetry can be found in the lyrics of Olivia’s “stupid song.” The lyricism of the album’s second track is *everything*—and it’s the obvious anthem for those who feel totally in love but can’t find the words to do the feeling justice.
Speaking of everything, Olivia blessed us with the release of (another) music video last night. It’s a parade of beautiful ballerinas that slowly come “undone” as Liv struggles to express herself. When it comes to falling in love, “stupid song” is en pointe.
Best lyric: “I’m a heart made of wax, and I’m melting in the sun/I’m a thread on your shirt that is coming undone”
honeybee:
Between quiet pleas for love and an awe-inspiring orchestral build, “honeybee” feels transcendent and bittersweet. The raw vulnerability of the song’s lyrics both win our hearts and drench our tissues.
Best lyric: “I hope I never see what your face looks like going/A face I swear that I could spend my whole life knowing”
maggots for brains:
Don’t be scared about the, er, gross title of this track: It’s a total bop.
If you’ve ever had a moment where your feelings *totally* take over your ability to think straight, you’ll love the lyrics in this one. Liv compares her crush-induced brain mush to a “zombie” and a “train gone off the track.”
“maggots for brains” pokes fun at our collective yearning in a way that doesn’t make us feel ashamed about our romantic daydreaming and deep-dives on bae’s Insta.
Best lyric: “And sometimes, at a low point, I even wish for a tragedy/’Cause I know he’d come over and take real good care of me”
u + me = <3:
“u + me = <3” captures the moments where falling in love seems to make everything fall into place.
If Olivia’s swoon-worthy lyrics have you daydreaming about “carv[ing] our names/into the car seat leather,” know that you’re not alone. This is one of those love songs that makes us yearn for a Pinterest-worthy romance.
Best lyric: “And all my ex-boyfriends have heard these lines/Let’s get married when we’re 25/But I like you better by a million times”
my way:
We know how important it is to be a girls girl, but sometimes we can’t help when the feels for bae have us a little *too* protective and jealous. Enter: this angry-diary-entry type of song.
“my way” feels very 2000s Avril Lavigne, with punk-pop synth effects that low-key make you want to stomp around the room.
Best lyric: “Well here’s a map of the lines I drew/And some girls step over and the girl is you”
purple:
“purple” feels like a scrapbook journey of two people fusing together as they fall in love—and shows the consequences of forgetting what’s uniquely *you*. With a dreamy build, the song balances hints of anxious spiraling.
Best lyric: “It’s a small world/When it only can revolve around us two/It’s crazy/I had big dreams ’til I tied myself to you”
Chapter 2: You Seem Pretty Sad
the cure:
Now that we have more context for “the cure,” it hits even harder. When love feels like it turns your brains to maggots, ofc you’re going to search for the right medication.
In the song’s climax, Olivia repeats “I’m unraveled”—and this song feels like it’s kickstarting the first chapter to leaving an unhealthy relationship.
Best lyric: “And it feels like medication, and it’s good for me, I’m sure/But it don’t matter how your love feels anymore/It’ll never be the cure”
begged:
We’ve been *begging* for this song after Olivia’s live debut on Saturday Night Live. And now, we have the perfect track to stare at our ceiling and replay every romantic letdown that’s ever happened to us. The vocals of this track are a standout on this album (just listen to the ethereal harmonies!).
Best lyric: “And yet I still cling/Cling to hope like snow on mountains/Careless words melt it away/I’m a penny in a fountain/Just waiting on my luck to change”
what’s wrong with me:
This song feels like the sister of “the cure,” perhaps a prologue. Olivia tells the story of going to the doctor, getting a clean bill of health (despite having some obvious symptoms)—and realizing that the real disease is an unhealthy relationship. Lead singer of The Cure, Robert Smith, joins Olivia in this tune.
Best lyric: “Say I’m in love, so it’s hard to admit/I can’t eat, I can’t sleep/I think you’re what’s wrong with me”
less:
If (by some miracle) you weren’t crying yet, “less” truly will be your turning point. You wouldn’t think that our favorite “girl so in love” would ask her S.O. for less love (especially not after the masterpiece that was “begged”). And yet, “less” delivers one of the album’s most heartbreaking messages.
Go ahead…pause the album. Take some deep breaths. We know it hurts, but this is the price we pay for life-changing Olivia art!
Best lyric: “If loving me means saying, ‘Babe, I think this is the end’/I guess/I wish, I wish, I wish you loved me less”
expectations:
“expectations” is the song that you blast with your besties after a breakup. We’ve temporarily tapped out of the blues for this track. Instead, Olivia’s letting us know that sometimes the end of a relationship gives you space to figure out what you *really* want from your love life.
Best lyric: “Past mistakes are just new information/These days, I’ve got expectations”
cigarette smoke:
Olivia fills the quiet goodbyes of a breakup–the car leaving the driveway, the empty house–with this stunning, harmonic ballad and the album’s closing chapter. (Just saying, this song’s bridge will long haunt our minds after the final note.)
Best lyric: “Give me back my time and I will give you back your heart/I thought that we made the perfect couple/’Til you didn’t want the part”
Once again, you’ve spoiled us, Olivia.
Check these out for more Olivia Rodrigo fangirl moments:
🩷Every Easter egg you may have missed from Olivia Rodrigo’s “drop dead” music video
🩷We’re casually crying over Olivia Rodrigo’s new single “the cure”
🩷QUIZ! Which Olivia Rodrigo Song Describes Your Love Life RN?
Images: @jimmykimmellive, @livieshq
