6 Standout Tracks From Olivia Rodrigo’s “you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love”

Ever since her breakthrough in 2021, Olivia Rodrigo has made a name for herself as one of Gen Z’s best storytellers whose music and pen game have spoken to a generation. For her third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, Rodrigo does so again in a body of work that captures the love and loss of a couple running its course.

​Through fist-pumping pop-rock songs and tender ballads, the 13-track album looks at both sides of the coin in how love and heartbreak can share the same bed in a relationship that wasn’t meant to be. Sonically, this is some of Rodrigo’s best work, including a handful of tracks that seem destined to be fan-favorites in the months and years to come. Below, check out our favorite songs from the new album.  

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honeybee – A Love That She Hopes to Last

Olivia Rodrigo and her piano strike again in this heartfelt ballad dedicated to that special someone. The song is a love letter encased in emotional honesty, hoping that the partner knows that they love them, which is made even better with the background vocals blending with Rodrigo’s voice. Given how the rest of the album goes, the song, in hindsight, feels almost tragic in a way, but that’s part of its magic.  

u + me = <3 – A Heart Forever With That Special Someone

There’s a cheesiness that surrounds this upbeat track, but in a way that captures how being in love can be inherently corny, especially to outside viewers. From carving your names on the car seat leather to talking on the phone, it’s those simple moments that make a relationship fun and bring that lovey-dovey energy.

the cure – An Avoidant Anthem

Serving as the second single off you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, the cure may just be one of Rodrigo’s best songs to date. Starting on a guitar, the track sees the Filipino-American musician sing about how she feels that the relationship isn’t right, but not because of her partner, but because of her inner turmoil. There’s a level of maturity needed to admit something like that, and when the band comes in during the track’s resonant final section is when the message really hits home.

begged – Begging for and to Be Loved

This song feels like an arrow to the heart with its candidness in realizing that you’ve become a passive partner in the relationship. For anyone who’s ever been in the all-too-relatable situation where they’d have to ask, beg, and even demand to be loved, this song is for them. Even if you’ve never been in a relationship, the track still hits close to home for anyone who’s felt like being loved, regardless of where it comes from, is a chore.  

less – A Broken Heart Makes for a Beautiful Ballad

Arguably the saddest song on the album and one of the saddest tracks she’s ever written, less is the LP’s lowest point in terms of the relationship. You can feel the pain in Rodrigo’s voice as she comes to terms with the fact that it’s actually over and that it would be better if she was loved less. It’s heartbreakingly beautiful and will inspire a tear, or several, after a listen.  

expectations – It’s Time to Raise Your Standards

If less is Rodrigo’s sad girl era, expectations is her redemption arc. This pop-rock-synth banger sees the Gen Z musician rise above the pain to declare that she has higher expectations for her next relationship and won’t waste her time with low-quality men, as she should. It’s an anthem for raising your standards and no longer settling for the bare minimum.  

Featured Image: OLIVIA RODRIGO (via Instagram)