Instead, I see more Taylor Swift and early-Kelly Clarkson on this standout song. I agree with Zac and Mary about “good 4 u” being a lazy (and inaccurate) comparison to Paramore, and really the closest it gets to that same wavelength is on its brash, punk rock chorus. The duo of “deja vu” and “happier” initially reminded me of Billie Eilish with whispery vocals and similar production elements to bring out the best product in the end. Similar to how Mary described the comparison to Lorde on this single, I can also hear that, with a subtle mix of Lana Del Rey. Other early album standouts like “traitor” are reminiscent of Julien Baker, whereas the mega-hit “drivers license” unfolds with the majestic beauty of Maggie Rogers’ trademark brand of pop. The near-album closer “jealousy, jealousy” is also in that same wheelhouse of K. Flay’s latest efforts, with more of the guitar bite of Beach Bunny. The crunchy guitar riffs of the opener “brutal” reminded me of the stylistic choices found on K. Contrary to popular sentiment, SOUR sounds nothing like Paramore.Īdam Grundy (AG) : Starting from my first listen of SOUR I noticed a few subtle comparisons of both artists past and present, all well-packaged together into a fresh and modern sound. Zac Djamoos (ZD) : Olivia Rodrigo’s voice invites comparisons to Lorde, as does the album’s darker, slower style. I don’t think that Olivia is the next anyone, she is her own artist carving her own path. Of course, she samples Taylor Swift’s “New Year’s Day” on “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” so the Taylor influence is there, too. The relatable ruminations about heartbreak (“traitor,” “driver’s license,” “enough for you”) are reminiscent of Lorde’s storytelling on Melodrama. With “brutal,” I hear the teenage fierceness and humor that dominated Wolf Alice’s debut album, My Love is Cool. I hear more Breakaway-era Kelly Clarkson in “good 4 u” than anything else. Paramore are incredible and one of my favorite bands, but those constant, unfounded comparisons that pinned women against each other simply for sounding alike or being influenced by Hayley is something I never want to see again. That was lazy, outdated, misogynistic bullshit that erased the hard work bands like VersaEmerge, We Are the in Crowd, or Against the Current were putting in. I don’t hear shared melodies, and lyrically, they are pretty far apart – “Misery Business” is scathing in its ingrained misogyny while “good 4 u” is biting and sarcastic without insulting “the other woman.” However, I’m not upset about the comparison – people actually hear a likeness rather than bringing back the sexist trope that any band with a non-male singer is the “next Paramore” without anything in common with Paramore’s musical styles or Hayley Williams’ vocal and lyrical flairs. Mary Varvaris (MV): The persistent narrative around “good 4 u” is that it mirrors “Misery Business” by Paramore. What qualities of Olivia Rodrigo draw comparisons to other artists? What songs in particular do you see these comparisons on SOUR? I asked Mary Varvaris and Zac Djamoos to join me in discussing key comparisons in Rodrigo’s sound to other modern artists, what worked well on the album, as well any missteps or areas for improvement in the young artist’s sound. Our next group topic takes a look at Olivia Rodrigo’s ultra-popular SOUR album. When we last premiered a feature on Taylor Swift comparing both versions of Fearless, I was intrigued by the idea of working with my fellow contributors on a similar collaborative piece.
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