Olivia Rodrigo, the cure | Song Review

Grammy-winning pop singer-songwriter delivers another bop in “the cure” ahead of her third album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.

Olivia Rodrigo said what she said on “the cure”. “The cure” is the second single and eighth track from her highly anticipated third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.  The talented pop superstar wrote “the cure” alongside producer Dan Nigro.

“The cure” begins with ear-catching rhythmic guitar accompaniment.  Olivia Rodrigo sings with poise initially.  Her cool, calm, and collected approach sets the scene. The melodies are tuneful, while the lyrics are quite memorable. “I thought I’d done enough, but they keep moving the line / I thought I found the antidote this time,” she sings in the first verse, and tweaking the lyrics in the second, “I thought I found the antidote with you.” Oh, snap! During the chorus, the centerpiece, she digs in more, singing more overtly.

“But my head is full of poison, and my heart is full of doubt

I got toxins in my bloodstream, you tried hard to suck ‘em out

And it feels like medication, and it’s good for me, I’m sure

But it don’t matter how your love feels anymore

It’ll never be the cure

It’ll never be the cure.”

Once the third verse arrives, she brings things back down, accompanied by the faithful rhythmic guitar. There’s nothing soft about the lyrics, though: “Used to play a game in my head when I’d date a guy / Tally up the girls that he fucked ‘til I start to cry.” Ooh-wee! A refrain changes the pace, with a beautiful vocal arrangement, with background vocals, on “I’m unraveled.”  This precedes the centerpiece, the chorus. After the second chorus, the “I’m unraveled” returns, in all its glory.  By this point, the song reaches a fever pitch, with masterful vocal layering. Not only is the singing more dynamic, but the accompaniment grows bigger, fuller, and more rhythmic.  Throw in a bridge, where Rodrigo asks, “Why can’t you come stitch me up?” Among the most beautiful instrumental features are the strings, in all their emotional, lush glory.  After dropping a gem with “drop dead”, arguably, Olivia Rodrigo one-ups herself with “the cure”.  Face it, folks, O.R. makes nothing but bops!

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Olivia Rodrigo » you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love » Olivia Rodrigo / Geffen Records » 6.12.26 [📷: Olivia Rodrigo / Geffen Records]

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