Olivia Rodrigo - SOUR
Critic Score
Based on 21 reviews
2021 Ratings: #234 / 753
Year End Rank: #5
User Score
2021 Rank: #555
Liked by 936 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

91
A.V. Club

The beauty of SOUR is that Rodrigo isn’t trying too hard to convince young listeners she understands them; she achieves this naturally, because in all the ways that matter, she is still one of them.

91
Entertainment Weekly

Sour doesn't try to be "the next" anyone; instead, Rodrigo distills her life and her listening habits into powerful, hooky pop that hints at an even brighter future.

80
Clash
Potent in its execution, revealing in its lyricism, it’s a record that finds Olivia Rodrigo effortlessly claiming her status as pop’s newest icon, and one of its bravest voices.
80
RIOT

Olivia Rodrigo justifies her sudden climb to fame on SOUR by embodying a whole generation and letting the world in on her insecurities.

80
Evening Standard
It’s all very overemotional, but so is being a teenager today. There’s no one better suited to tell their tales.
80
The Forty-Five
Rodrigo is guaranteed global megastardom with the release of the best break-up album since Lorde's 'Melodrama'.
80
The Observer

Half wallow, half messy I-don’t-need-you self-care, Sour is the perfect first breakup soundtrack from a hugely promising new talent.

80
The Telegraph

The fierceness and focus of Rodrigo’s streamlined debut album, Sour, suggests that the 18-year-old is going to be a real threat behind the wheel.

80
The Guardian
A collection of polished, precociously accomplished pop that doubles as one of the most gratifyingly undignified breakup albums ever made.
80
Rolling Stone

Whereas most artists build to their breakup album, carefully laying down the foundations of their future devastation, Rodrigo has already skipped ahead to her Tunnel of Love.

80
Exclaim!

Rodrigo has established her voice and showed listeners that she's not afraid to be vulnerable. SOUR is a strong debut that vividly illustrates the beautiful chaos of being inside a teenage girl's brain.

80
The Line of Best Fit

Olivia Rodrigo cements her success story on the explorative and heartbroken Sour.

80
DIY

A youthful tour through heartbreak angst that only falters when it plays too safe.

80
NME

After 'Drivers License', pop's brightest new thing proves she's not just a flash-in-the-pan, but a multidimensional artist who's in it for the long haul.

80
AllMusic

Rodrigo wants to be taken seriously as a songwriter, and she should be -- her combination of sweet melodies and bitter moods, her conversational flow, and her self-awareness are all skills many songwriters twice her age would love to call their own, and they make Sour a well-rounded emotional journey and strong debut album.

70
Slant Magazine

Like Eilish and Lorde before her, Rodrigo possesses both a knack for stealthy pop hooks and a vocal control beyond her years. And even if Sour doesn’t quite transcend its myriad influences, it might at least inspire her fans to Google the Piano Man.

70
Pitchfork

Four months after “drivers license,” pop’s newest star offers a nimble and lightly chaotic collection of breakup tunes filled with melancholy and mischief.

70
PopMatters
She manages to create something uniquely and unabashedly her own ... However, Rodrigo's lo-fi deep cuts made in the shadow of "Drivers License" can sound a bit repetitive.
64
Spectrum Culture
Sordid tabloid details are less important than the sadistic, wicked, resolutely teenage way she writes about her devastation.
60
The Independent
At times, it feels as though the polite, considered Rodrigo could push ideas, emotions and melodies a little further than she does.
MarkyC
50

SOUR is a formulaic, predictable breakup album. A collection of similar sounding ballads, it mostly follows the same song structure of her hit single "drivers license": muted moody verses, belted chorus and layered vocal effect on the bridge.

Her indie girl voice is better than most, but she has an unpleasant timbre at times with belting that quickly becomes flat and repetitive. "good 4 u" and "jealousy jealousy" do well to keep things fun with their angsty pop ... read more

Cry
90

THANK YOU FOR 500 FOLLOWERS! SOUR IS PERFECT! ONE YEAR SINCE I JOINED AOTY!

SOUR, the debut album from Olivia Rodrigo, is the best break-up album I've ever listened to and might be album of the year. Olivia Rodrigo started her career early, acting in a few Disney TV shows and started singing on Instagram, which caught the attention of some people who thought that she'd be an amazing singer. Olivia Rodrigo, who's only 18 years old, has understood the pain of a break-up and the heartbreak that ... read more

BradTasteMusic
71

Olivia is a surprisingly good writer, who can be very blunt and forthcoming about things going on in her life. This causes the songs here to pop and sting in a way that's special. The relationship tracks become redundant by the second half, but the tracks here that pop, absolutely slap. This is a very solid album.

connornicholas
83

Olivia Rodrigo’s highly acclaimed debut sees impressive potential for the young artist. Some of the songs on here went mega viral when released and its no question why. driver’s license, deja vu, and good 4 you are certified bangers that anyone can get down to whether you’re a teenage girl or not. The opener brutal is a loud and boisterous start that solidifies the angst of the album as a whole. traitor is a change of pace, but a welcome one as it shows off Olivia’s ... read more

LigerOnLean
80

RANDOM ALBUM REVIEW #21

taylor swift is a writer on this shit?

this album is much better than i remember. i used to cringe at basically every song, but now i can feel where she's coming from with a lot of the lyrics, even if i can't personally relate. it's very teenager pilled, which could very well be to it's detriment, but i actually think it has just the right amount of angst to be compelling without being super cringe. it's not like it's deep or anything, but it is entertaining enough to ... read more

lukesharm
91

SOUR at its core isn't a breakup album, it's an album about betrayal. Tracks such as "good 4 u" and "traitor" highlight this overarching theme. Overall, this album is a very powerful album, and in my opinion it's very emotional. The most impactful track in this album is easily "driver's license".

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Added on: April 1, 2021