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Sour
Studio album by Olivia Rodrigo
Released	May 21, 2021 (2021-05-21)
Recorded	2020–2021
Length	34:41
Label	Geffen
Producer	Olivia Rodrigo Dan Nigro Alexander 23 Jam City
Singles from Sour
"Drivers License" Released: January 8, 2021 "Deja Vu" Released: April 1, 2021 "Good 4 U" Released: May 14, 2021

Sour is the debut studio album by American singer Olivia Rodrigo. It was released on May 21, 2021, through Geffen Records. Rodrigo stated that the album explores her perils and discoveries as a 17-year-old, with its title referring to the uncomfortable and "sour" emotions youngsters experience but are often shamed for, such as anger, jealousy and heartache. The musical style of Sour was inspired by Rodrigo's favorite genres and singer-songwriters.

The album was preceded by three singles: "Drivers License", "Deja Vu" and "Good 4 U", the first two of which reached the top 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and the former topping the chart, making Rodrigo the first artist in the chart's history to debut their first two singles inside the top 10. "Drivers License" reached number one in various other countries.

Background

Being angry, jealous, overly emotional or sad can often be framed as being bitchy or moany. I decided to shine a light on those feelings, even though that was uncomfortable to talk about. I've done all I can do. Everything else is out of my hands

— Rodrigo on the subject matter of Sour, The Face

Olivia Rodrigo is an American actress and singer who was best known for her roles in Disney Channel's comedy series Bizaardvark (2016-2019) and the 2019 Disney+ mockumentary series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She recorded songs for the latter's soundtrack, including "All I Want", which received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2020, Rodrigo signed to Geffen Records in intention of releasing her debut EP in 2021. American songwriter and producer Dan Nigro was suggested by a friend to listen to Rodrigo's songs on the soundtrack. Nigro was "just completely blown away" and reached out to Rodrigo via Instagram, offering to work with her. The pair had a meeting to get to know one another, shortly after which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the United States. They started collaborating after figuring ways to work safely in isolation. She released her debut single "Drivers License", produced by Nigro, on January 8, 2021, to unprecedented commercial and critical success. Billboard declared the single one of the most dominant number-one songs in Hot 100 history.

Rodrigo began teasing a follow-up single by archiving her past Instagram posts and posting cryptic teasers of it on her social media accounts in late March 2021; on March 29, she announced that it would be titled "Deja Vu", and set a release date of three days later, reassuring fans that the announcement was not an April Fools' Day joke. Rodrigo unveiled the song's artwork in the same post. Following her rise to prominence, Rodrigo stated that she will be releasing a studio album instead of an EP, after she felt unsatisfied with the scope of a shorter project when only a full-length album can be "truly reflective of what can do."

Conception

I want to be super versatile. My dream is to have it be an intersection between mainstream pop, folk music, and alternative rock. I love the songwriting and the lyricism and the melodies of folk music. I love the tonality of alt-rock. Obviously, I'm obsessed with pop and pop artists. So I'm going to try and take all of my sort of influences ... and make something that I like.

— Rodrigo on the album's sound, Nylon

Rodrigo described her ambition for her debut project, Sour, was a "super versatile" body of work that mainly blends mainstream pop, folk, and alternative rock genres, alongside elements of pop-punk, country and grunge. She stated that it is inspired by the works of her favorite singer-songwriters, such as Alanis Morissette, Taylor Swift, Kacey Musgraves, and the "pouty", "angsty" sound of rock acts like No Doubt and the White Stripes. Rodrigo also cited her mother Jennifer's musical tastes as an influence, as it was her who introduced young Rodrigo to metal, punk and 1990s alternative rock.

Rodrigo's vision for the album's lyrics was to explore a variety of "sour" emotions that young women "are often shamed for", such as anger, jealousy and sadness. The album title refers to the concept of "awesome things" in Rodrigo's life "progressively going sour" as she gets older, representing a "specific slice" of her life as a 17-year-old, "its unending growing pains and surprising discoveries". In a Billboard interview, Rodrigo told that she tried to balance out the "sour" songs with some love songs, in order to avoid being pigeonholed as "the heartbreak girl"; however, she eventually dropped the idea, to preserve her authenticity as a songwriter. She explained that love and happiness were not the emotions she felt while making the album.

Promotion and release

On April 1, Rodrigo announced across her social media accounts that her debut album is scheduled for release on May 21, 2021. Preorders for the album began the following day. On April 13, Rodrigo teased the album's title, and subsequently, posted the album's title, track listing, and cover artwork on the same day. Sour became one of the most anticipated music releases of 2021.

Cover artwork

The standard cover artwork of Sour finds Rodrigo standing against a purple backdrop, wearing a fuzzy pale pink tank top and checkered bottoms. She has her tongue stuck out, with her face covered in a variety of colorful stickers. The stickers on her tongue spell the album title. Popsugar observed that Rodrigo is also wearing a ring in the cover artwork, identical to a ring that Taylor Swift had gifted her earlier. The backside cover also has a purple background, featuring scattered stickers as well as the tracklist on a pearly-colored balloon that Rodrigo's hand is about to pop with a safety pin. In the alternative cover available for the Target-exclusive and vinyl editions of Sour, purple is again the dominant color, but stickers are not present.

Singles

Sour was supported by three singles, two of which charted inside the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.

"Drivers License", released on January 8, 2021, serves as the lead single of Sour and Rodrigo's debut single. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, was uploaded to Rodrigo's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. The song broke a string of records, including the Spotify record for the most single-day streams for a non-holiday song and the biggest first week for a song on Spotify and on Amazon Music. The song debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 and made Rodrigo the youngest artist ever to debut atop the chart. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Deja Vu" was announced as the second single on her social media accounts on March 29, 2021, and was released three days later along with its music video, directed by Allie Avital in Malibu. The song debuted at number 8 on the Hot 100, making Rodrigo the first artist in history to debut her first two singles inside the top 10 of the chart.

The third single, "Good 4 U", was announced on May 10, 2021, and was released on May 14. Its music video, directed by Petra Collins, features Rodrigo as a revengeful cheerleader, making references to the 2000s' cult classic films Princess Diaries and Jennifer's Body. The energetic song provided listeners the taste of a different side of Sour, departing from the slower and melancholic emotion of the preceding singles "Drivers License" and "Deja Vu".

Marketing

Rodrigo gave the debut performance of "Drivers License" on February 4, 2021, at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She has expressed excitement for a potential upcoming tour in support of the album post the COVID-19 pandemic. A sneak-peek of the creation process of the album was featured in IMAX screenings of In the Heights (2021) on Mother's Day. Rodrigo performed "Drivers License" and debuted "Good 4 U" live at Saturday Night Live on May 15, 2021, hosted by American actor Keegan-Michael Key. On May 16, 2021, a hotline phone number "323-622-SOUR" was made available, which teased an unreleased track from Sour. Rodrigo gave interviews and appeared on the magazine covers of Interview, Elle, The Face, NME, Billboard, and Nylon. On May 21, Rodrigo will perform the song "Enough for You" on an episode of YouTube's Released series.

Track listing

Notes

• All track titles are stylized in all lowercase.

Release history

References

1. ^ McCarthy, Lauren (February 5, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo". Nylon. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
2. ^ Wickes, Jake (April 30, 2021). "An interview with Olivia Rodrigo ahead of her new album, Sour". The Face. Retrieved May 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. ^ "Olivia Rodrigo: 33 facts about the Drivers License singer you need to know". PopBuzz. Retrieved May 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. Elizabeth Wagmeister (October 16, 2015). "Disney Channel Greenlights Tween Music Comedy Series 'Bizaardvark' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
5. "Olivia Rodrigo: 19 facts about the Drivers License singer you need to know". PopBuzz. January 9, 2021. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
6. Bowenbank, Starr (May 15, 2021). "Everything You Need to Know About Olivia Rodrigo's Debut Album, 'Sour'". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved May 20, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
7. Bomar, Scott B. (April 21, 2021). "Behind The Song: "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 20, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
8. Anderson, Trevor (January 22, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Is One of the Most Dominant No. 1s of Last 30 Years". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
9. Iasimone, Ashley (March 27, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Wipes Her Instagram Account, Posts Cryptic Teasers". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
10. Atkinson, Katie (March 29, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces Brand-New Song 'Deja Vu': Here's When It's Out". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
11. Smith, Sophie (March 29, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces New Single 'Deja Vu'". UDiscover Music. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
12. ^ Unterberger, Andrew (May 13, 2021). "License to Thrive: Olivia Rodrigo Zooms Ahead After 2021's Biggest Breakout Hit". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
13. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (May 14, 2021). "On The Cover – Olivia Rodrigo: "It's important for me to be taken seriously as a songwriter"". NME. Retrieved May 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
14. "Olivia Rodrigo talks debut album SOUR, being inspired by Alanis Morissette". Official Charts Company. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
15. Fuamoli, Sose (April 6, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's 'f*cked around and made an album'". Triple J. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
16. Martoccio, Angie (April 13, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Details Debut Album 'Sour,' Reveals Tracklist". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
17. "Olivia Rodrigo talks debut album SOUR, being inspired by Alanis Morissette". Official Charts Company. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
18. Delgado, Sara (April 14, 2021). "The Tracklist for Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour" Is Peak Storytelling". Teen Vogue. Retrieved May 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
19. ^ "Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak, as Silk Sonic, Top Billboard Hot 100 With 'Leave the Door Open'". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
20. Paul, Larisha (January 8, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Releases Highly Anticipated Debut Single 'Drivers License'". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on January 8, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
21. Spanos, Brittany (January 11, 2021). "Song You Need to Know: Olivia Rodrigo, 'Drivers License'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
22. Russo, Gianluca. "Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License" Just Keeps on Smashing Spotify Records". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
23. "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
24. Atkinson, Katie (March 29, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces Brand-New Song 'Deja Vu': Here's When It's Out". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
25. Dodson, P. Claire (April 1, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's "Deja Vu" Music Video Puts a New Twist on That Love Triangle". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
26. ^ Mamo, Heran (May 10, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Announces She's Dropping Her Third Single & Will Perform It on 'SNL'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
27. ^ Garcia, Kelsey (May 14, 2021). "Shut . . . Up! Olivia Rodrigo's "Good 4 U" Outfit Is a Princess Diaries Reference". POPSUGAR. Retrieved May 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
28. Shaffer, Claire; Shaffer, Claire (May 14, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Shares Petra Collins-Directed 'Good 4 U' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
29. "Olivia Rodrigo 'Good 4 U' lyrics decoded as she channels a bad breakup". Capital FM. Retrieved May 16, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
30. Carras, Christi (February 5, 2021). "Red lights! Stop signs! Olivia Rodrigo sings 'Drivers License' live for first time". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
31. Delgado, Sara (April 14, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour" Album Tracklist Is Peak Storytelling". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
32. Delgado, Sara. "Olivia Rodrigo Previewed Her New Song and We're Going Pop-Punk". Teen Vogue. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
33. "Call Olivia Rodrigo's 'Sour' Heartbreak Hotline to Get an Early Taste of Her New Album". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
34. Barna, Ben (April 7, 2021). "For Olivia Rodrigo, "Drivers License" Is Only the Beginning". Interview Magazine. Retrieved May 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
35. Luu, Kyle (April 26, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Is in the Driver's Seat". ELLE. Retrieved May 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
36. Sherman, Maria (May 19, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Talks New Music, Old Gossip, & Breaking The Disney Mold". Nylon. Retrieved May 19, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
37. Rodrigo, Olivia (May 21, 2021). "Olivia Rodrigo Official Premiere Party & Exclusive Performance on RELEASED (Set Reminder)". YouTube. Retrieved May 20, 2021. Plus, see an exclusive performance of her new song 'enough for you'!
38. Rodrigo, Olivia. "SOUR". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
39. Citations concerning Sour release formats:
    • "Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Box Set". Olivia Rodrigo Music. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
    • "Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Cassette". Olivia Rodrigo Music. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
    • "Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Standard CD". Olivia Rodrigo Music. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
    • "Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Digital Album Download". Olivia Rodrigo Music. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
    • "Olivia Rodrigo - Sour Vinyl". Olivia Rodrigo Music. Archived from the original on April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.

• 2021 debut albums
• Olivia Rodrigo albums
• Albums produced by Dan Nigro
• Interscope Records albums
• Geffen Records albums