by Andrew Auclair ’29 on September 24, 2026
A&E - Music
On June 12, Olivia Rodrigo released her third studio album and, in my opinion, her most creative to date. Following Sour in 2021 and Guts in 2023, her newest release ditches the brief, four-letter album titles for one of the longest names I have ever read: you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. Originally speculated to be released in December 2025, the album was reportedly delayed for reasons fans could only guess at, with many suspecting her breakup with actor Louis Partridge playing a role. After months of anticipation, Rodrigo’s dedicated fans finally received what I believe is her strongest record yet. You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is easily my favorite Rodrigo album, with the strongest collection of songs in her six-year career.
Starting with track one on GSIL, “drop dead” is the most radio-friendly track, especially considering it was one of the singles she released prior to the album. It is a perfectly fine song, but I feel it is just a tad overplayed given how many other fantastic songs this album has to offer. It is a pretty good opener for the album, beginning the story of a girl who gets stuck in a cruel cycle of falling in and out of love. When I was first listening to the album, I didn’t know what to expect, but by track two, “stupid song,” I knew Rodrigo had made leaps and bounds of improvement since her first two albums. On top of being a clever reference to The Cure’s common naming scheme with their own songs, “stupid song,” is a wonderful love song that crescendos beautifully by the end; one of my favorites and, in my opinion, a better version of “drop dead.” “Honeybee” is the third track on GSIL and my least favorite. Personally, I don’t think it adds anything particularly new or creative to the album, as there are much better slow songs on GSIL. Track four, “maggots for brains,” is a really fun ’80s post-punk/pop inspired song with super catchy lyrics and simply magnificent polyphony of overlapping verses for the final moments of the four-minute runtime. “U + me = <3” is a very cute song that is heavily inspired by the “blue-sunshine” post-punk guitar jangle style of indie-pop band Alvvays. The CD version of this song is very cool and is one of the main reasons why I spin this album so much. With the sixth track on the album, “my way,” Rodrigo returns to the exciting teenage girl edge she is so well known for from her first two albums. Upon my first listen, I thought this song was very corny, but with each replay of “my way,” I have come closer to the conclusion that to be cringe is to be free, and maybe I do want to jump up and down on my bed screaming the words into my hair comb. Moving on, “purple” is the next track on the album, and in my humble opinion, leaves a little to be desired. Another one of the album’s slower songs, it has some pretty sweet lyrics, and I enjoy how it gradually builds throughout the whole song, a common choice among this album’s songs. I think the chorus is just a little underwhelming, but the coda at the end of the song is very beautiful.
Rodrigo’s eighth song on you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love is undeniably the breakup anthem of the year. Being named after the transformative British alt/goth-rock band, “the cure” blends gut-wrenching lyrics of a girl realizing that all of her problems can’t be solved by one boy, featuring a magnificent building crescendo that explodes into an incredible symphony of heartbreak and the realization that she might never be enough. The ninth song on the album, “begged,” is another slow song, but the lyrics are very transformative. They describe how the girl in the song comes to realize that maybe it’s not worth it if what a lover receives isn’t equal to what they give. “What’s wrong with me” is absolutely one of my favorites on the whole album. While this song is also inspired by the band, The Cure, it novelly features a haunted verse and harmony, delivered by lead singer of the band Robert Smith, that compliment the depressing lyrics. This song seriously feels like a culmination of every instance Rodrigo has referenced the band in her career. “Less” is the third and best of GSIL’s catalogue of slow songs. I do not know how to explain how brutal this listen is without advising someone to try it themselves. The lyrics, “if loving me means saying / ‘babe, I think this is the end’ / well, I guess / I wish, I wish, I wish / you loved me less,” are forever burned into my soul. The twelfth song on GSIL, “expectations,” couldn’t be any larger of a tonal shift from “less,” but that’s exactly why it’s amazing. “Expectations” is a super upbeat and peppy track that takes light inspiration from electronic and dance genres to compliment the self-confident, girl-boss lyricism. That’s right, Olivia, show ‘em who’s boss. If the album ended there, I think everyone would be perfectly happy and excited for Rodrigo’s well-needed boost in confidence. However, in the thirteenth and final track of this album, “cigarette smoke,” Rodrigo talks about her regret for ever thinking her last man could last. Every lyric in this track makes me wince in pain, but if I were to choose one to personally hold on to, it would be “you’ll be miles away tomorrow / why’d I try all.” Ouch.
You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love was such a satisfying summer release for this year. I have always enjoyed watching Rodrigo’s career evolve, but I was always waiting for the one album that would click with me. A week after GSIL came out, I decided that it was truly a work of art. While writing this, I asked a fellow opinionated friend how he felt about it, to which he responded jokingly, “I want to put my head through this wall.” You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love by Olivia Rodrigo is a wonderful addition to not just her ever-growing discography but to 2026’s release catalogue. I’m not sure when the next playlist of mine won’t contain a single song from this album.