drop dead

The global superstar is back with the first single from her upcoming album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, and I’ve got to say, I was curious going into this one. With drop dead, Olivia steps into some slightly new territory, which is honestly something I was hoping for. Her first two albums really leaned into that lollipop rebellious teenage pop-rock lane, and while that worked really well for her, there was always the risk that a third album in that exact same style would start to feel repetitive.

So first things first, I’m glad she’s switching it up a bit here. This track leans more into a synth-driven pop sound, moving away a bit from the pop-rock aesthetic she built her name on. It’s not a complete reinvention or anything, but it’s definitely a noticeable shift. And at this stage in her career, that’s a smart move. You don’t want to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again.

The song itself is… just fine. It follows a pretty standard pop structure, nothing too crazy going on. But also, nothing wrong with that. It’s easy to listen to, it flows well, and Olivia’s vocals are still really solid. She has a very nice tone in her voice that’s just pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are okay too, nothing super deep or groundbreaking, but they fit the pop-nature of the track.

The only thing is… it just doesn’t really grab me. Like, I don’t hate it, not at all. It’s a perfectly enjoyable pop song. But it also doesn’t really grab my attention that much. And that’s kind of where the issue lies for me. Because with this shift in sound, she’s stepping into a lane that’s already pretty crowded. This type of synthy, slightly dramatic pop has already been done a lot in recent years. It even reminds me a bit of what Chappell Roan has been doing, and even that isn’t the most original space anymore. So while Olivia sounds comfortable here, it doesn’t really feel like she’s pushing things forward or making it her own in a unique way.

And that’s kind of what I was hoping for. Not just a small shift in sound, but something that really stands out as her own artistic statement. Something that makes you go like okay, this is different, this is special. But instead, it just feels like another solid, well-made pop track that could’ve been made by a lot of artists right now. That doesn’t make it bad though. It’s still enjoyable, still easy to play, and I can see this doing well. But it’s just missing that extra spark. That thing that makes you want to replay it over and over again and analyse every little thing about it.

So overall, drop dead is a fine first single. It shows Olivia is at least willing to switch things up a bit, which is a good sign. But at the same time, it doesn’t fully convince me yet. I’m still curious to see where the full album goes, but I do have some doubts whether she’s really going to push beyond these standard pop formulas. Would love to be proven wrong though. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.