Olivia Rodrigo and the Art of Being Dramatic

I think most of us, if not all, know who Olivia Rodrigo is. And chances are, we’ve all heard the recent album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl in Love.” There’s just something about her music that makes me feel like girlhood means feeling everything all at once and how that’s not really a bad thing. 

I am sure there must have been moments when you dramatically stared out of a window while listening to one of her sad songs, or maybe you’ve screamed “Drivers License” at the top of your lungs after a minor inconvenience, or thought about the same conversation over and over again in your head almost a hundred times.

And that’s where Olivia comes in. Personally, I think her music connects really well with her audience, as she makes even the smallest heartbreak feel like the final episode of a reality drama show. And honestly? That’s exactly why I love her, and you do too. 

In today’s generation, most of us try to act nonchalant and effortlessly cool and have forgotten what it’s like to be unapologetically ourselves. Rodrigo has built her music around doing the exact opposite. In most of her songs, she describes what being angry, jealous, and insecure feels like. And I absolutely adore her for the fact that she’s not afraid to admit it.

I guess that’s why her music is so relatable. Instead of being the person who leaves someone on read, pretends not to care, and acts like rejection means nothing, she encourages us to care. 

Her music constantly reminds me that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about and that it’s OK to feel too much or too little at times. It doesn’t matter if it’s messy. 

For example, her latest album is the one I am absolutely in love with because it feels like a roller coaster of emotions. The album touches on falling in love, insecurities, overthinking, and sometimes even heartbreak. Some songs like “The Cure” and “Expectations” hit the hardest and talk about how, even if everything on the outside seems to be perfect, our emotions can tell a different story at times. 

And honestly, isn’t that something most of us go through? You can be in love one minute and questioning everything the next. Her songs allow me to feel like I am just a girl, which makes me feel safe. It’s its own kind of therapy to scream “good 4 u” in the bedroom after a story that you see of someone you used to care about or after a slightly disappointing interaction with someone you liked for maybe a week or two. 

Is it dramatic? Yes! Is it necessary? Probably not, or maybe sometimes. 

Songs like “Obsessed” and “Get Him Back” are so entertaining. They capture thoughts that neither of us would be able to admit out loud. 

Most of the time on the internet, girlhood can look like coordinating cute fits, coffee runs, Pinterest-worthy bedrooms, and aesthetic spontaneous nights out with friends. But is it really like that all the time? No. 

Social media also has a way of making people compare themselves with each other. I do it too. This is the toxic, unhealthy side of the internet. There’s also a feeling that comes when people post about their significant other, and suddenly you start thinking that maybe you’re not enough. 

And that’s where songs like “Teenage Dream” and “Pretty Isn’t Pretty” come into play. They remind us that growing up isn’t a perfectly curated montage; it’s sometimes confusing, lonely, and full of expectations you never agreed to and promises someone couldn’t keep. Olivia makes these things feel less isolating. 

Some of her songs are also about falling in love, feeling hopeful, and embracing the happy moments just as dramatically as the terrible ones. She’s not just writing heartbreak anthems, I promise! 

Imagine if everything works out in the end for you. All the heartbreak, overthinking, and moments of self-doubt eventually lead to something beautiful. Olivia Rodrigo’s “honeybee” and “u + me = <3” capture that feeling of finally finding happiness after all the emotional chaos. My friends also love to romanticize their emotions through the song “stupid song.”

I’d like to end by saying that life is already complicated enough, so why pretend we don’t care? If being dramatic means embracing every emotion instead of hiding it, then I’m more than happy to be that girl.

And trust me, Olivia Rodrigo isn’t paying me to promote her tour (although I wouldn’t complain). But if you get the chance to see her in Seattle this December, GO! Because if there’s one thing better than dramatically singing her songs alone in your bedroom, it’s screaming them with thousands of people who just get it.

• entertainment
• girlhood
• life
• mental health
• music