MC's Music Lounge: Olivia Rodrigo's new album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, cements her as one of the top pop-rock stars of the decade

Olivia Rodrigo dropped her long-awaited third studio album you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love last Friday, cementing her as one of the top Gen Z pop-rock stars of the decade. The album has barely been out for longer than a weekend but it has already broken records, earning the highest first-day streaming numbers for an artist that debuting in the 2020s with 81.59 million global Spotify streams. It also is expected to be the biggest first-week sales of her career thus far. The project is Olivia at her most mature and most developed musically. At 23 years old, she has carved her own lane in the music industry and has delivered some of her most heartfelt and confessional lyrics with even more attitude than before.

I have a rule when it comes to an artist earning a coveted spot on my list of cherished artists: in order to get to a place where your music can stand the test of time, you need to have delivered at least three strong albums in your discography. Three is the magic number because it’s generally more songs than can fill an entire live show, and is just the right amount of albums where you can see the different flavours of an artist’s artistic repertoire. A successful trio of albums is the key to helping an artist leave the “new artist” limbo and avoid the “flash in the pan” long-term narrative.

Take Alanis Morrissette for example, an artist who has very clearly served as a big source of inspiration to Olivia. She just spoke to Canadian icon Nardwuar about being 13 the first time she heard Jagged Little Pill, and the two even shared the cover of Rolling Stone’s “Musicians on Musicians” issue in 2021. Alanis only has about three commercially successful albums under her belt, but those records made such an impact, they have helped her sustain a strong live presence and longevity in the music industry. Olivia’s officially gotten to her magic number – mark my words, she will be performing in arenas for the rest of her music career.

Another 90s icon who has influenced Olivia is Gwen Stefani. Olivia has specifically mentioned Gwen’s autobiographical songwriting style during her No Doubt days having a big impact on how she writes her music. Think Gwen when she was singing about wanting to be a mom and wishing “for a mistake” in the song “Simple Kind of Life”. Olivia used her album release week to show that love for Gwen and No Doubt specifically at the band’s final show at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night. One of the signatures of their show is when Gwen picks someone from the audience to come onstage and give her a hug. Low and behold, Olivia was chosen as the final fan, complete with a big sign asking to be said fan and a No Doubt snapback hat. She also calls them the “best band in the world”, all while she herself has her own project to promote.

Next week, Chloe Bailey teams up with Timbaland for a new mixtape that is giving us all the Aaliyah vibes based off the teaser on her socials, and Tyla drops the latest single from her upcoming record A*POP. This week, it’s an Olivia Rodrigo frenzy with a few extra additions by LE SSERAFIM with ILLIT and KATSEYE, BTS and Travy with Elzzz and Fred Again…plus, an 80s hit is going viral thanks to a 2010 kids movie. You read that correctly.

Listen on…

MC’s PICKS OF THE WEEK

“stupid song” by Olivia Rodrigo

I love a reference to a stupid love song in an angsty pop tune. Kelly Clarkson famously sang that she “even fell for that stupid love song” in “Since U Been Gone”. The music video is a ballet dream, with ballerinas surrounding her. Some fans in the comments seem to believe that the ballerinas represent the butterflies you feel in your stomach when you are falling in love. It definitely would make sense given the sense of longing Olivia is singing about.

It’s a pretty intense song that amplifies the helplessness you can feel when a crush feels like it’s taking over your soul. It’s a fun song with a pop melody but an emotional lyric that many of us can relate to. I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely wanted someone so badly that not even a piece of music can put the feeling into words. Sometimes those feelings may lead to nothing in the end but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to change how bad you want the person, and Olivia seems to get it. Thanks girl.

“maggots for brains” by Olivia Rodrigo

The title of this one alone immediately caught my attention and I am pleased to say that the song is even better than the title suggests. It gets even better once you learn that the lyrics were inspired by Miranda and Steve’s relationship in Sex and The City. This was revealed on her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, saying that when that particular couple is getting back together, Miranda says how anytime something funny happens she wants to tell him. Olivia took that feeling and put it into a song, the feeling of being so depressed when someone you love or once loved is no longer around anymore for you to share the little moments of life with.

Like many of the songs on her album, it’s an emotional rollercoaster disguised as a rocking love theme. It’s a happy song, a song about feeling hopeful in love one minute but then the next you want to cry. The “maggots for brains” is not in reference to an ex-lover but rather her own brain when she is blinded by the rose-coloured glasses. It’s all very 2000s coded which is my brand exactly, but there’s even some hints of 80s dream-pop in there. Olivia has managed to tap into something that we have been missing from mainstream music, the teeny bopper meets young adult niche audience. Her ability to create music that feels nostalgic for a time that she wasn’t even around for is impressive.

“ICONIC BY MISTAKE” by LE SSERAFIM, ILLIT, KATSEYE

I have thrown so much sh-t about KATSEYE’s music over the last few months that now my algorithm is basically saying “as if” and they have now found their way into my brain. So when this new super group collaboration with K-pop girl groups LE SSERAFIM and ILLT came across my desk, I was instantly locked in. I haven’t looked back, the song has stayed in my head since I first heard it. The lyrics are about being hated on so much by the public that you end up becoming “iconic by mistake”. In other words, the song is about my own relationship with KATSEYE’s music.

In all fairness though, this is a banger and not anything close to the brain rot that is their most recent single “PINKY UP”. The chorus is catchy, each group brings their own flavour to both the vocals and the choreography, and there’s actual subject matter in the lyrics. All three girl groups involved in the collaboration are promoted under HYBE, and each of the groups showcase references to one of their own songs in the video. It’s giving “all in the family” vibes with a dose of girl power. The girls premiered the song during a live performance at Mnet M Countdown in South Korea, and it felt like watching an army of pop perfection on one stage. What a sight.

“Come Over” by BTS

We love a celebration, and this track is a special one for ARMY. “Come Over” was originally a hidden track on the ARIRANG album and it is now out on all streaming services to celebrate Festa, BTS’s anniversary. They are marking 13 years together, their bar-mitzvah if you will! Suga’s production on this song is fresh and futuristic. The song is a mid-tempo vibe, on trend with a majority of the songs that are popping off on the radio this summer. The song’s lyrics are split in both English and Korean, longing for a lover or the closest friend, which seems to be a recurring theme in my song choices this week – “can I come over? I just wanna say I’m sorry”.

I can’t imagine anyone turning these guys down to come over but I guess it is just a song, lol. I love hearing a man begging for his lover’s affection, it feels correct. Along with the release of “Come Over”, this weekend also brought the news that the members will be releasing two books, one for Korean recipes and the other to analyze their lyrics. I admire how they continue to make things exciting for ARMY and continue to show their love and appreciation for them. It’s so refreshing in this day and age to see an act treat their supporters with the old-school music industry mentality that your fans are always the top priority.

“DID IT AGAIN” by Travy, Elzzz, Fred again…

Travy is an Irish-born rapper who has long stayed under the radar but with a heavy presence on the underground UK rap scene. “DID IT AGAIN” was actually created live during a Twitch stream with fans that Fred hosted. The original stream featured a few snippets that are heard in the song’s final product. A year and a few live performances later, the song has a studio version and music video to match. One of my favourite lines of Travy’s from the song is “They say that the aura is threatening them”. It’s one of the cleanest bars I’ve heard in a while because your aura is the effortless vibe you give off, and when the vibes are high, it’s unmatched. Add in the experimental production and the song is built to be played on blast when lifting weights at the gym.

Fred has collaborated with his share of UK rap greats, having recently released an entire collaboration EP with Skepta that won both of them a Grammy award. Fred has found ways to integrate his dance and EDM background into the world of hip-hop and rap to create a whole new sound that is his own. It’s hype, it’s nasty, it’s an essential playlist add.

MC’s VIRAL PICK

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

It is beautiful that hits from the 80s are living so many different lives through different generations. This week’s case study is none other than “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, released in 1983. It’s one of those songs that is engraved into the DNA of culture, no matter your music taste, you likely know this one. The song itself was a huge hit for Bonnie, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its initial run, and continues to have a resurgence during any eclipse that passes by whether it be the solar eclipses of 2015, 2017, or more recently 2024. This time around, though, the reason for its viral status has nothing to do with an astronomical event. Well, that is unless you consider the 2010 film adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid to be that, which by the looks of it seems to be the case for many people online.

In the film, the character of Greg Heffley wows his drama teacher with his rendition of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” during auditions for the school play which comes after countless failed attempts by his fellow students. Each audition blends into the next before we get blessed with Greg’s vocals (played by Zachary Gordon). This brings me to one of the many trends that are now being associated with this rendition of the song. It started with TikTok users performing their own renditions of the song using a “bad” singing voice before erupting in strong vocals just like in the film. Then, Zachary Gordon himself jumped in on the trend sending fans of the movie ablaze online.

@zachgordonofficial Almost as good as the kid in the movie #gregheffley #diaryofawimpykid #fyp #totaleclipseoftheheart ♬ original sound - Zachary Gordon

@geloguiao greg!!! HAHAHAHA #gregheffley #diaryofawimpykid #totaleclipseoftheheart #fyp #sing ♬ original sound - GELO

@.jathan
holy catfish
♬ Originalton - Kineedits

There’s also a trend associated with the sound and the usage of the “catfish” filter – a filter that alters your face and removes every flaw. So, basically, what half the IG influencers do. It’s the perfect soundtrack to the classic “transformation” post, the perfect sound to use to get the point across. This round of virality has helped “Total Eclipse of the Heart” skyrocket in both streaming and social media numbers. The song is currently sitting at #4 on TikTok’s viral 50 songs chart and is pulling in a staggering 932k daily Spotify streams. This is a 33-year-old song folks and it’s out-streaming hits by Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran and quite possibly one of the most epic love songs ever written, bringing new meaning to the term “timeless”.

The 2026 “MC’s MUSIC LOUNGE” Spotify playlist is live. You can add it here to keep up to date with my weekly picks throughout the year.