Olivia Rodrigo, jeunes pop. I’m a 90s kid and for the first time in a long time I felt that Fukuyaman optimism Nokia vibe without it being nostalgic. Love when you’re young is quite something. The chemical takeover of your brain more intense. The heartbreaks much more identity shattering. The sound of it all deeply dramatic. Olivia’s new album gives us all of that as sophisticated pop. There’s almost an Arcade Fire level of detail to the production and pop clearly benefits from that melodic indie sound. Especially if you can explore its emotional depth with vocals.
It’s that exploration that makes you realize that Olivia’s been at this longer than most artists her age. It’s the sound of ambition. Rodrigo is telling her fans to be Orphean. Look back, don’t look back. It doesn’t matter as long as you take the leap. If Eurydice seems pretty sad for a girl in love, it’s cause the music might just distract you through the fog. Live and learn, to err is to be young. Don’t look back.