Sour
by Olivia Rodrigo
  • Record Label: Geffen
  • Release Date: May 21, 2021
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1336 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,075 out of 1336
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 1336
  3. Negative: 198 out of 1336
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  1. peteragbayani
    Sep 11, 2023
    9
    accurately captured a certain point of our angsty or even our not-so-angsty teenage life. now that's a debut album!
  2. Heiscruel13
    Sep 10, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ysuhshshshhshsususushshjdusjdhdhdjjsisisisjdndjuxuxjxjdnjdjduxjdjdjdjsjshhh… Expand
  3. Aryellesep182
    Sep 9, 2023
    10
    Olivia trouxe o que precisávamos, músicas simplesmente boas, puras e que todas as mulheres que estão passando e já passaram pelos seus dias de adolescentes vão se conectar.
  4. SavedByMusic
    Sep 8, 2023
    7
    I loved/really like Brutal, Traitor, Jealousy Jealousy, Good For You, & Drivers License but the rest all sound so similar. It needed a few more bangers to add some life to the tracklist. Especially since all of them are towards the front half.
  5. LanaDiva
    Sep 7, 2023
    0
    Weird and offensive singing. To put it exaggeratedly, "good 4 u" is contemporary Alanis Morissette, "brutal" is L7 collision Sky Ferreira, "drivers license" is blocked by PJ Harvey, "deja vu" assembles Laurie Anderson robot sound effects and Annie Clark traces Cruel in the darkroom Summer, "happier" is billie eillish singing La Vie en Rose, and "jealousy, jealousy" pays homage to the greatWeird and offensive singing. To put it exaggeratedly, "good 4 u" is contemporary Alanis Morissette, "brutal" is L7 collision Sky Ferreira, "drivers license" is blocked by PJ Harvey, "deja vu" assembles Laurie Anderson robot sound effects and Annie Clark traces Cruel in the darkroom Summer, "happier" is billie eillish singing La Vie en Rose, and "jealousy, jealousy" pays homage to the great toilet song ME! While calling back Nirvana, "1 step forward, 3 steps back" pays homage to Joni Mitchell via Taylor Swift's playground piano, and hope ur ok is an Adrianne Lenker indie-folk classic. On the surface, the pop music texture that huge resources are poured into can span from 60s folk to 70s punk to 90s grunge to 10s electronic pop and 20s emo, but at its core, it is like a family soap opera that lasts for hundreds of episodes and is full of youthful reversal and bloodshed. , filtering out all the nutrients of independent music. It doesn't matter whether she looks like Lorde, Taylor, or Avril, because the first step in creating a new star is to replicate past success under the standard of "I hate every song I write." Katy Perry copied Avril, Lady Gaga copied Bowie, and copying is not a fault. The fault is in endlessly replicating immediate success because of it. The result is that the entire album is devoted to discussing the love triangle and all its derivatives - whether it's anger, sadness, jealousy, curses, letting go, blessings. Its deepest point is "I hope you're happy but don't be happier". This beautiful retelling of the self-deceptive Someone Like You completely sinks the youth ballad into the stratum of scar literature. How popular she is represents how precise the manufacturing process of the star-making factory is. From the current point of view, mismatched fire is not a hidden danger, but lack of talent continuity and difficulty in highlighting personal characteristics are.… Expand
  6. alexR2006
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    This is an album for teenagers who had their first heartbreak. The delivery is legend!
  7. Brubs13
    Jul 14, 2023
    10
    An amazing debut album! Olivia did a perfect representation of her teenagers feelings that really showcases her songwriting skills
  8. critic0277
    Jul 12, 2023
    0
    This album is bad, we don’t have any highlights on the album, the best track is the acoustic guitar song “Enough For You”, the album is a copy of Taylor Swift’s and Jack Antonoff work but in a really bad way, we can say that the biggest hit “Drivers License” didn’t age well, and the response song “Skin” is way better than Rodrigo’s song. The worst track is “Brutal”, “Good 4(for) U”,This album is bad, we don’t have any highlights on the album, the best track is the acoustic guitar song “Enough For You”, the album is a copy of Taylor Swift’s and Jack Antonoff work but in a really bad way, we can say that the biggest hit “Drivers License” didn’t age well, and the response song “Skin” is way better than Rodrigo’s song. The worst track is “Brutal”, “Good 4(for) U”, “Jealousy, Jealousy”, and “Happier” all of those tracks have cringe lyrics and bad production.

    0/10

    Best track: Enough For You
    Worst tracks: ‘Good 4 U’, “Brutal’, ‘Jealousy, Jealousy’, and ‘Happier’.    … Expand
  9. minik26
    Jul 9, 2023
    9
    This is a debut that the world needed. Olivia Rodrigo posed herself as a very promising artist, and her best is yet to come with more than just a breakup album. The lyrics in this album are very personal, and Olivia's voice captures every bit of the emotional atmosphere of 'SOUR'. Even if the sound may seem generic and resemblant (Taylor Swift's 'Lover' is the closest comparison, in myThis is a debut that the world needed. Olivia Rodrigo posed herself as a very promising artist, and her best is yet to come with more than just a breakup album. The lyrics in this album are very personal, and Olivia's voice captures every bit of the emotional atmosphere of 'SOUR'. Even if the sound may seem generic and resemblant (Taylor Swift's 'Lover' is the closest comparison, in my opinion), I can feel the liveliness of this album. Overall, this is a great statement of Rodrigo's skills. The world liked the right person!… Expand
  10. Gabyhungaro
    Jul 7, 2023
    10
    One of the greatest debuts I've ever seen! She is a star. Her compositions are literally poems to my ears, she really doesn't look like a 17/18 year old girl, she brings melancholy that's sounds incredible, storytelling and extremely good composition. She is very talented for a new artist. She deserves every stream and popularity she gets. Olivia truly speechless
  11. Neske
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    Yet antoher bland pop album.
    I know soooo many f ing pop songs and they are all the same!
    Just a copy after a copy after a copy...
    Trash, f the pop genre!
  12. luixs_m28
    Jun 23, 2023
    0
    Such a bad album, she should really go back to Disneychanel. By the way, people who consider good 4 you should kts
  13. Amylovesmusic
    Apr 16, 2023
    10
    Olivia has potencial. This album is si good, lyrics are so relatable, and the fact that she wrote them makes it even better
  14. Benxsooyaa
    Mar 27, 2023
    10
    Es un álbum buenisimo, el mejor debut de la historia! MERECIA GANAR POR MUCHO ALBUM DEL AÑO.
  15. davifontenelle
    Mar 17, 2023
    8
    Olivia Rodrigo debut Album, “SOUR” is a great addition to 2020s music, but in many songs she lacks depth and originality, however, in songs like “favorite crime” and “hope ur ok” Olivia gave us that. The album production is really good in my opinion, but nothing extraordinary. For a debut album it is really surprising.
  16. ner2135
    Feb 25, 2023
    10
    A very emotional and personal album, which is what makes it so good. Olivia's voice is amazing and her writing surprises me every time
  17. Lennavcarvalho
    Dec 13, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. SOOOOO GOOD! I almost can't believe it is her first album. Next big star for sure.… Expand
  18. jyayke
    Dec 14, 2022
    10
    One of the best debut albums ever! The pain this album can cause, you can feel the emotions from Olivia through her vocal ability and her lyricism. One of the strongest songs is definitely "1 step forward, 3 steps back" even though some listeners of the album won’t think that song is the best, in reality it’s one of the best songs ever written. The chord progression interpolates "New YearsOne of the best debut albums ever! The pain this album can cause, you can feel the emotions from Olivia through her vocal ability and her lyricism. One of the strongest songs is definitely "1 step forward, 3 steps back" even though some listeners of the album won’t think that song is the best, in reality it’s one of the best songs ever written. The chord progression interpolates "New Years Day" by Taylor Swift, the lyrics are beautifully written as it explains the feeling of being in an emotionally abusive relationship, where one day you will be all over each other and the next day you will be hating each other for one little thing that causes the anger to come over you.… Expand
  19. Caroxxi
    Dec 13, 2022
    10
    Loved it. Production was great. Takes you to a rollercoaster of emotions backed by great track listing and top tier lyrics. A nostalgic album for sure.
  20. ray32
    Nov 5, 2022
    0
    Even poyola could not save her. This album is like GAYLE and Leah Kate -- cringe.
  21. Punfisito
    Oct 26, 2022
    7
    Un disco muy sincero a nivel lírico. Si bien no es nada del otro mundo ya que las canciones suenan muy parecido unas con las otras, tiene detalles que lo hacen destacar.
  22. 0987
    Oct 25, 2022
    0
    Very childish. I get it, she recorded this when she was 18, but does this album REALLY deserves to be critically acclaimed? For what? For her frustration in 12 songs over her ex-boyfriend that dumped her? For Pete's sake.
  23. ariangelfan
    Sep 19, 2022
    10
    Realmente muito difícil algum artista fazer um debut album tão bom como esse, será que a Olivia irá nos surpreender ainda mais..?
  24. rafacritique
    Sep 18, 2022
    7
    Olivia Rodrigo trouxe músicas muito boas se você for uma adolescente com problemas emocionais não muito profundos, como brutal e jealousy e jealousy, mas trouxe umas enjoativas e batidas como hope ur ok e good 4 u, os vocais são bonitos e a produção até que esperada vindo dela, mas é um bom debut para uma artista com bom potencial de melhora
  25. aleom_hx
    Sep 18, 2022
    3
    3.8/10
    This is the most shameless album, a large number of songs are sampled without adding any decoration, and it is also particularly obvious. The melody of the song is good just because the original sample is good. Olivia is clearly unable to create music independently and have no innovation.
  26. msteck
    Aug 31, 2022
    8
    A well-crafted, if a tad lightweight, pop effort with enough charm and novelty to keep you invested long-term.
  27. Crutionix
    Aug 23, 2022
    7
    While Olivia's vocal performance leaves you knowing she's got a long and successful career ahead of her that's well deserved, for me, SOUR just doesn't hit the mark. The entire project feels short, created specifically for virality (which it did achieve) but in a way that cheapens the album listening experience.

    While many people watched as Driver's License was taking off, it was hard    While Olivia's vocal performance leaves you knowing she's got a long and successful career ahead of her that's well deserved, for me, SOUR just doesn't hit the mark. The entire project feels short, created specifically for virality (which it did achieve) but in a way that cheapens the album listening experience.

    While many people watched as Driver's License was taking off, it was hard to move past the smell of "industry plant" that I was getting.

    Nonetheless, "Driver's License" and "Hope You're Okay" manage to showcase Olivia's vulnerability and vocals well. Other tracks like "Good For You" and "Deja vu" fail to hit the mark, feeling rushed and targeted specifically and only for career trajectory.

    I look forward to seeing what Olivia does with her future projects.    … Expand
  28. Deooliver
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    Álbum perfeito, muito bem executado, cada música desse álbum faz vc se sentir livre
  29. deoxyman
    Aug 22, 2022
    0
    a weak debut. it was too short and it's always about a mysterious boy who we all know who. It was such a hater, ''i''m not like other girls'' type of album and it almost made me want to vomit.
  30. Rubychantell
    Aug 22, 2022
    10
    This album singlehandedly made rock mainstream again with the global hit good 4 u, a modern classic! It’s an amazing debut and I can’t wait for Olivia’s next project i hope it has more rock leaning songs!!
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Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Album of 2021
11
#11 Most Discussed Album of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. AllMusic
    May 28, 2021
    80
    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.
    Read full review
  2. PopMatters
    May 25, 2021
    70
    Sour, for the most part, is a pop album that dips its toes into the alt-pop and bedroom pop subgenres, specifically spending most of its time in the latter. ... Rodrigo's lo-fi deep cuts that were made in the shadow of "Drivers License" can sound a bit repetitive. Her craft as a songwriter is especially evident on tracks like "Enough For You", "Happier", or "Hope Ur Ok", but the acoustic complexion these songs were going for could have benefitted from a bit more background noise.
    Read full review
  3. Exclaim
    May 25, 2021
    80
    By the end of the album, 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.
    Read full review
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