you seem pretty chill for a girl with exam coming up

True to my soon-to-develop caffeine addiction, I like to brew. Or would slowly boiling a frog be more fitting? Whenever anything new gets released, I will almost always never see its merit from the get go. In the case of (over)hyped media, there is always the need to go against popular opinion and so I stay farrrr away until the heat has died down. Exceptions include stranger things season 5 episode four "sorcerer" miwi flashbacks.

Sure my vocabulary has been eroded by brainrot and half the thoughts I have are unoriginal but there are things in this world that deserve my honest truest opinion. A week since Olivia Rodrigo released her newest album and I feel ready to dissect this frog.

The title is a mouthful but in the context of her previous albums being 4-letter titles its hilarious I'm hehe hahaing. Never let them know your next move.

Drop Dead: I'm ngl this song nearly sent me to the ER upon first listen. Ik that the bar closes at ELEVEN? You know all the words to JUST LIKE HEAVEN??? See yourself out. Instrumentals are deliciously kilig on the same level as ngiti. The fast paced parts are perfect in creating that magical early stages of being enamored by someone. Adrenaline is high, there's infinite possibilities of where things could go, and you can't imagine ever feeling the same with another person. 10/10

Stupid Song: When Olivia references the songwriting process you know I'm gonna eat it up like the english teacher's pet that I am. This song is a good follow-up on drop dead, from idealisation to the hints of limerence. "If there is a god he's the bond that's between us two" is such a thought-provoking lyric because in one statement she personifies (he) an entity and equates it to something abstract like a connection between two people. THAT'S SO??? Putting a relationship up the divinity pedestal this early on... she wants him bad and yup she's moving fast. 9.5/10

Honeybee: Ohhh she's gone to the deep-end I fear there is no escape. Dropping the L-word on the third song is insane but I guess that's what love does to a filipina. Her diction in this one appeals to all senses. Immersing yourself in the song makes it feel like you're actually there with them, in the dark, wind blowing, and stars gleaming overhead. The callbacks to later songs from this one really just elevates the listening experience. 8.5/10

Maggots for Brains: LOVE LOVE LOVEEE the gratuitous use of dirty imagery. The title itself provokes an already jarring likeness for what is supposedly an upbeat love song. The self deterioration in the absence of her lover message coming off as both endearing and dreadful... only Olivia is capable of that. 9/10

U + me = <3: That intro is so the cure coded I literally levitated off the couch (azzy can vouch). Once again, Olivia manages to make you live in the moment and worry about the future interchangeably, seamlessly might I add!!! "They say modern love's a cruel endeavor. And to that I say fuck it whatever" exactlyyyy. Her ability to juxtapose grand, larger than life ideas with contemporary culture is such a big part to why I come back to her songs everytime. Although this is my current favorite song from the album I do have to deduct points for... sigh. This edit.

Criminal. It ruined the song by just a tiny bit but thankfully kanthony is hear to salvage us. 9/10

My Way: I haven't warmed up to this one yet. Maybe when I have the energy to feel angry it'll hit. The charm is there though, definitely something to blast full volume and speed to. And who am I but a chaotic liv enjoyer. 7.5/10

Purple: This title pisses me off for obvious reasons. A fellow intellectual recently put to words the mixed feelings I get when hearing purple rain. Its meaning has been so misconstrued to the point where even Prince himself wouldn't recognize it if you played it point blank to his ear. But back to the topic at hand, this song is great despite the unwanted connotations. This being the last entry to girl so in love followed by the cure is an interesting choice. For the most part the song is positive but every so often there is a sense of sadness that permeates through the whole thing. And the build up of melancholy solidifies in the outro in a way that feels earned. "Melt with you til it all turns sad" as we transition to the you seem pretty sad part of the album HER MIND. 8.5/10

The Cure: Thesis of the album fr. We all know where we were when this banger dropped. I was in a comp lab after theater rehearsal fighting off the intense urge to bang my head on the monitor. Fun times. And wow does the song still hit like the first time. The way she sings "its gooood foOor me I'M sure" scratches the itch tucked away near my prefrontal cortex. Looking back, that's probably how I didn't end up going through with head banging. This song literally saved my life; yes we don't need romantic validation and yas we have to finish this lab report. 10/10

Begged: Wtf was Louis doing literally what kind of behaviour would warrant this song. Actually I might have an idea... and it's not far fetched considering... anyways remember those scary nursery rhymes they used to scare us from acting dumb as kids? Begged gives off the same vibe. Never ever settle for someone who makes you beg for the bare minimum. Tis a cautionary tale. 8.5/10

Whats Wrong with Me: ROBERT SMITH FEATURE IS INSANE. She really won with this rollout. The harmonies in this one are unreallll like do my ears deceive me? Are these real existing soundwaves?? By golly it is! And these vibrations feel depressing asf. This I feel like is the inverse of maggots for brain. In that one she fully realises what's happening to her and justifies it as missing her baby. In here, she thinks every wrong feeling is definitely because of her bf but is afraid to admit it. Because if acknowledged, she'd have to face the fact that this love is not serving her anymore. 9.5/10

Less: The first time I heard that chorus my heart dropped to my ass with velocity undefined by modern physics. The second verse then proceeded to mold my insides period cramp style. Just the idea of them trying everything to salvage the relationship by recreating what used to work only to realise that yup... this is beyond saving. Someone told me that second verse was trying to replicate drop dead and I have not been able to unhear it ever since. I'm sure some music nerd can confirm this (Howard Ho can you hear me!!!). Overall, a heartbreaking song. 1000x painful when listened in the context of the whole album. 10/10

Expectations: Mixed feelings is what I'll say. Looking at the early stages of a relationship in retrospect of the breakup is always going to be revealing. This song probably isn't about Louis though cuz it would inconsistent with how she's been referring to him so far. Definitely don't settle for someone with a fake job, and no your future husband is NOT at a bar in Silver Lake. Moving on girlboss anthem material (9/10)

Cigarette Smoke: I'm not going to lie this song reminded me of post finale byler. The intro is Will going back to Hawkins after how many years of being away. Mike settled there, working a blue collar job, a picture perfect replica of his dad. He's never branched out, never really found himself, or rather, never had the courage to. "I resent you for not being brave" as a reference to Mike's cowardice and his Mike the Brave DnD persona. It's too perfect.

"Give me back my time" = all those years of Will pining after Mike, never really fully moving on cuz the latter would always send mixed signals.

"And I will give you back your heart" = Mike being referred by Will as the heart of the party, his heart, the one he depicted in the painting. Will lets go of this back and forth and allows the painting to remain with Mike, now without the romantic implications because it's exhausting to keep on hoping.

In the context of the album, this song is littered with references and I'm in looove. "But its better than BEGGING for you to stand up for me HONEYBEE" shut upppp. This is the right amount of bittersweet note to end the narrative on. The relationship will have lasting repercussions, like cigarette smoke lingering in spaces long after the light's been extinguished, but hey we got an amazing album out of it. Lesson is... chronic secondhand smokers make for good producers. 10/10

In all frealness, I genuinely enjoyed this album. Everything that comes from Olivia you can guarantee to be worth your time and she makes sure it is. Did you know that all of the songs are over 3 minutes long? That's almost unheard of in the current pop landscape. She just feels everything so vigorously and it reflects a lot in her craft. The talent and the courage to communicate vulnerability purely with the intent to create meaningful art is what's really worth celebrating with this new album.

Average rating: 9/10