Last week, I was driving around State College and decided to listen to some throwback songs from my high school days. In the mix was the entirety of the album “SOUR” by Olivia Rodrigo.
Hearing the songs that were on a constant loop in my car on my daily 7 a.m. drive to my high school in 2021 teleported me back to my 16-year-old self. Screaming “drivers license” at the top of my lungs an actual week after I got my license.
It made me think about how different my life was when I was first listening to that album compared to now, screaming every word at full volume. While it felt like everything had changed, the one thing that did not was how relatable that album continued to be.
There were so many parallels between the songs and how I applied them to my life in different ways at different points. Below, I have listed some of my favorite ones. Are there any you relate to?
“drivers license”
Even though listening to this sophomore year of college, I did not in fact get my driver’s license last week, this song still cuts just as deep at 19 as it did at 16. When milestones come that you discussed with a previous partner or person in your life that is no longer there, the feeling of wanting to share the experience with them and tell them about it but not being able to be is a common one.
Some more still relatable lines include “you’re probably with that blonde girl” (because he probably is) and “crying cause you weren’t around” (because yeah, me too girl.) However, the lyric that takes the cake for most relatable is by far, “and all my friends are tired, of hearing how much I miss you.” Sorry guys, love you! Thanks for listening to me talk about the same man constantly!
“enough for you”
Fun fact that I learned when hearing this song again for the first time in years: it still makes me cry. In fact, I would argue that this song hits harder now than it did at 16. We have situationships to thank for that!
I think that feeling like you are not enough is a feeling that we all can relate to. Trying to figure out how you can change yourself to please the person you are dating and make the relationship work, and then when that inevitably fails, blaming yourself? Yup, we have all been there.
“brutal”
It is, in fact, brutal out here. From relationships to job applications, life in college seems like a whole lot of giving with absolutely no reward. While this is the ultimate teenage angst anthem, It is still just as applicable to your twenties.
“favorite crime”
A song all about accepting less than you deserve because of how much you like the person. Sounding a bit too familiar?
“The things I did, Just so I could call you mine,” is something that most of us have felt at some point. We have all done things we are not proud of and even knew in the moment was wrong, just so we could possibly be with the person we cared for.