Album Review: Olivia Rodrigo

The first thing to notice about you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love — especially compared to anything any other mega-pop star has put out in the last decade — is that the record sounds fantastic. It’s glossy, sure, but full and widescreen in a way most huge pop music isn’t really allowed to be anymore (only contrast it with the hyper-compressed, dynamic-free blast of a Dua Lipa, or Ariana Grande song, or any other generally empty, radio-ready slabs of noise). Some recent exceptions include Jack Antonoff’s well-arranged but somewhat airless work for Sabrina Carpenter; Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser’s excellent production on last year’s Addison; and Brat, of course, which sounded stupendous thanks to A.G. Gook and George Daniel, whom Charli XCX gave free reign to make serious electronic dance music into pop, and not just vice-versa.