It’s finally here! Olivia Rodrigo released her debut album SOUR on Friday, May 21, following the breakout success from her first solo single, “Drivers License,” (and the drama that came with it) in January.
“My first album SOUR is out everywhere now. Every song is so personal and close to my heart. Getting to share them with people is the most special thing I’ve ever done in my life. Thank u to everyone who made this album happen,” the 18-year-old songstress shared via Instagram. “Whatever happens with the album I’m just so grateful I got to work with all these incredible people. And I’m so lucky songwriting and music exists. I hope you guys enjoy the 34 minutes and 46 seconds of me spilling my guts out that is called SOUR. Thank you for helping me turn all my unhappy feelings into one of the best moments of my life.”
The former Disney Channel star made her foray into solo music after writing the song “All I Want” for High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Then, Olivia made headlines with the release of “Drivers License.” The heartbreakingly beautiful song is rumored to be about the actress’ past relationship with HSMTMTS costar Joshua Bassett. Although neither of them ever confirmed their romance, fans were convinced that the duo was more than friends when filming season 1 of the show.
“I totally understand people’s curiosity with the specifics of who the song’s about and what it’s about, but to me, that’s really the least important part of the song,” she told Billboard after the song’s release. “It’s resonating with people because of how emotional it is, and I think everything else is not important.”
Olivia continued, “To see it do really well — to have this really painful moment in my life, and turn it into something beautiful that can maybe help people through a tough time that they’re having, like I was having a tough time — it’s just so empowering.”
Since then, the California native has been releasing bop after bop. Olivia’s second and third singles — “Déjà Vu” and “Good 4 U” — garnered similar success to her first track. Her songwriting abilities have also received comparisons to that of Taylor Swift, who is credited as a songwriter on SOUR. While the two have yet to officially collaborate, Olivia did sample Taylor’s “New Year’s Day” on the song “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.”
But that’s not the only subtle hint sprinkled throughout SOUR. Scroll through our gallery for a complete lyric breakdown.
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