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To release one album and it be great, to shifting completely and establishing yourself as no easy feat. With her most recent studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad For a Girl So In Love, megastar Olivia Rodrigo has continued to reach new heights in her music, through songs such as “the cure.”
The Antidote
What this song does so well, in a way, is harp on Rodrigo’s own insecurities. In the song, she sees all these girls around her that she thinks might be prettier than her and someone that her partner might be more attracted to. She thinks that she has found the way to block out these negative thoughts, or “the cure,” but her insecurities are still very much a part of her path.
To emphasize the idea of people floating around her relationship being one of her main concerts, Rodrigo sings that they are in the “foreground of her mind.” The occupy and consume her completely, which reverses her fears back onto herself. Rather than her partner being the one losing sight of their relationship, now it is Olivia herself who is allowing the outside noise to distract her.
What I love most about the lyrical element of this song, is how it can be read in so many different ways. There is no one way to find meaning in this song.
Administering Aid
The music video for this song matches its vibe and title completely. We see Rodrigo trying almost any and everything to fix or “cure” this heart that is in front of her, but almost nothing seems to work.
Almost halfway through, the lights in the hospital begin to short circuit. On top of that, her veins burst out of her body, signaling almost a total breakdown of her mind as she becomes consumed by this paranoia. The only way for it to end is for the actual Olivia Rodrigo to destroy this smaller version of herself and move on in a way, the ending shot being her in a empty house with moving boxes.
A Sound We’ve Come to Love
One of the most recognizable parts of any Olivia Rodrigo song is her acoustic guitar. The strumming patters, much like strings in other musical arrangements add even more weight and emotion to the music. What I like most about her play on “the cure” is how the song crescendos towards one moment where she lays everything out there.
What’s Next?
I would highly recommend that if you loved “the cure,” that you listen to the rest of Rodrigo’s new album. It is filled with songs that some how manage to carry even more emotional weight than this one. Also, she is playing in Boston at TD Garden later this year, so be sure to get tickets if you can!
