I’ve been an Olivia Rodrigo fan since her High School Musical days, so when I saw that a new album was dropping and it was pink-themed, I was instantly intrigued. Rodrigo’s first album SOUR, came out in 2021, followed by GUTS in 2023, making this her third official studio album. On the way, starting with the single “drop dead.”
Instantly, from the first note of the song, the beats feel much more pop-oriented than those on the previous album, GUTS, which had a much more indie-punk vibe. It reminds me a lot of her first album, SOUR. The first verse especially sounds a lot like Rodrigo’s first album, with a slight young, almost autotune vibe. But once we get to the chorus, it feels very traditional Olivia, but also almost Chappell Roan-esque, especially with the harmonizing happening. What’s funny is that before I listened to this song myself, I heard this chorus online and was convinced it was a Chappel Roan song.
A phrase that stuck out to me was “feminine intuition.” Honestly, I instantly don’t love this lyric. It kinda feels like a phrase I can see getting coined online, similar to other phrases like “I’m just a girl,” so that kinda took me back a little, but besides that, I really like the chorus. Once we reach the first instrumental part, it again feels very upbeat and poppy, almost youthful for her.
As the song progresses into the second verse, it maintains a youthful feel, and once we reach the bridge, it almost feels underwhelming. I usually think of Rodrigo as the queen of bridges, but this time around, it just felt a little lackluster and almost blends in with her main chorus. If I had to compare this song to some of her other music that’s already out, I’d say it most reminds me most of two Guts songs get him back and bad idea right? With an all-over-the-place chaotic style and lesser-known popularity.
Overall, I rate this song a solid 4.5/10. I’m excited to see what the rest of the album brings, and this single still had her classic vibe, but it just felt a little weak in comparison to her previous music. I would categorize this as a solid radio category, meaning if it came on the radio, I probably wouldn’t change the station, but if it came up on my phone, I would probably skip it or not choose it.
