“brutal” is the first track on Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 album ‘Sour.’ The song dives into all the hardships of youth that pretty much everyone goes through. So, this song is one we can all relate to.
Olivia Rodrigo announced her debut studio album ‘Sour‘ following the massive success she gained with her debut single “driver’s license.” She followed up this success with another single “deja vu.” Announcing the new album, she commented “alsoooooo i f*cked around and made an album. i’m so proud of it.”
In the song, Olivia Rodrigo flips on the idea that ‘youth’ is the best days of our lives before ‘life’ hits us right in the face. But, life does hit when you are young too. We just brush it off quickly. However, in this day and age of technology and social media, you tend to attract more possibilities for heartache which can be harder to brush off.
Listen to “brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo
“brutal” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Throughout the song, Olivia Rodrigo gets brutally honest about all the insecurities she deals with. Despite being a global superstar, she still feels the need to receive validation from people around her. She tells us how she tunes into the news every day to see what other people are saying about her. If it was not enough being an actress on ‘Highschool Musical: The Musical: The Series,’ she is now a record-breaking singer. So, there is a much bigger focus on her life right now. And it adds that much more pressure.
Olivia also sings that she is sick of her teenage years, especially seventeen. This is the age when she lost the love of her life that inspired her multi-platinum selling single “drivers license.” She questions where her teenage dream is. This is also a reference to Katy Perry’s mega-hit “Teenage Dream” from 2010.
Olivia is surrounded by people who say that right now are the golden years of her life. But, surprisingly enough, she fails to see what they mean. She has all the problems in the world (save for money), and she is ever so anxious about her future.
‘Cause I love people I don’t like
And I hate every song I write
And I’m not cool, and I’m not smart
And I can’t even parallel park
Can’t we all relate to these lyrics? We have gone through similar experiences at some point in our lives.
Teen years might be the most carefree days in our lives. But this does not mean that some people do struggle through them. And worst is yet to come!
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.
Watch the music video for “brutal” below.