you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (2026)
If I’m being honest I wanted to write a review of Olivia Rodrigo’s new album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love because I want to talk about how much I fucking love the song “drop dead.” Putting my finger to the proverbial wind, I get the sense that “the cure” is the preferred single between the two which I think is insane. “the cure” is fine. Good, even. “drop dead” is pure magic.
Here’s what it comes down to: I think “drop dead” takes better advantage of the 3-5 minute pop song medium. “the cure” might be tackling a more profound moment of personal growth – realizing love can’t fix what’s wrong with you – but for that subject matter I would frankly rather read a reflective essay in The Cut. I go to pop songs to capture flashes of gut feelings in a bottle. The swooping lines of “one night I was bored in bed, and stalked you on the internet” evoke that weightless sensation of going back and forth on a swing, paired with the hammering drumbeat of “I always had a vision of us standing like this” like your heart thumping in your throat. That’s what falling in love feels like, baby! It’s the lyrics, the rhythm, the production, all firing on all cylinders to create an explosion of emotion – which is what the best pop songs do best.
Before this, Olivia’s songs could generally be divided into two categories: piano ballads and angry girl music. In “drop dead,” and the album as a whole, Olivia seems to carve out a new sonic mode to operate in, with clear influences from Robert Smith and The Cure (the band). She and producer Dan Nigro seem to play with the musical theater adage “when you can’t speak you sing, when you can’t sing you dance” and turn it into: “when you can’t sing you break into symphonic pop cacophony.” It’s a mode I really vibe with, and (if I’m being honest) really prefer to the piano ballads in her previous oeuvre. It makes her ballads more vibe-y, less therapy session-y and adds some versatility to her songs. Before “drop dead,” she had only released one other true love song (the bonus track “so american” on Guts) and these new meandering, sparkling production elements really let her access some new feelings in her work.
However, I do miss the angry girl music! As someone uncomfortably into pop punk music in the 2000s, I miss Olivia bashing out some digestible power chords and yelling into a distorted microphone. I felt it most on two songs on the album: “my way” and “expectations” feel ripe for adding in a little Avril Lavigne flair. They feel too polished for their subject matter and missing the raw simplicity of a high pitched scream like in “all american bitch” or the bratty delivery of “ha-ha” in “obsessed.” I understand the desire for sonic cohesion, but the more mature, thoughtful musical influences of this album just don’t serve these songs where she’s being a bit of a brat. Let her be a grown up and childish in the same tracklist!
Even with these moments that feel off, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love feels like a natural product of Olivia following her artistic interests, even when it means breaking from some of the molds that have served her well in the past. She’s not chasing trends, she’s playing around with new ideas. It doesn’t always work, but when it does I’m scream-singing “drop dead” on repeat while cooking dinner every single night for a week. It makes me trust her as a musician, willing to follow her down whatever musical rabbit holes or tangents she might go down.
Each month I highlight an organization that’s important to me. I encourage people to check out the cool work they do, and also to find causes within their community to support as well.
Today I’m highlighting QUILTS
