SOUR
Sour (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo, released on May 21, 2021, via Geffen Records. The album was written by Rodrigo and her producer Dan Nigro. Originally planned as an EP, Sour was expanded into a full-length album following the viral success of her debut single, "Drivers License".
SOUR General Information
Studio Album by Olivia Rodrigo
Released: May 21, 2021 (a day after my birthday)
Recorded: 2020-March 30,2021
Studio: Amusement (Los Angeles)
Heavy Duty (Burbank)
Funk (Salt Lake City)
Genre: Pop, Alternative Pop, Bedroom Pop, Pop-Punk
Length: 34:41
Label: Geffen
Producer: Dan Nigro
Singles from SOUR:
"Drivers License" Released: January 8, 2021
"Deja Vu" Released: April 1, 2021
"Good 4 U" Released: May 14, 2021
"Traitor" Released: August 10, 2021
"Brutal" Released: September 3, 2021
Influenced by Rodrigo's favorite genres and singer-songwriters, Sour is primarily a pop record that spans from energetic pop punk songs to bedroom pop ballads. Its subject matter centers on adolescence, failed romance, and heartache. She said the album explores her perils and discoveries as a 17-year-old, with its title referring to the "sour" emotions young people experience but are often criticized for, such as anger, jealousy, and unhappiness.
Three singles preceded Sour's release, all of which entered the top three of the US Billboard Hot 100. The lead single, "Drivers License", topped the chart and propelled Rodrigo to mainstream prominence. It was followed by "Deja Vu", which peaked at number 3, and "Good 4 U", the album's second chart-topper. It made Rodrigo the first artist in history to debut their first three singles in the top 10 of the Hot 100, and Sour the first debut album in history to spawn two number-one debuts on the chart. Prior to becoming the fourth single, "Traitor" landed at number nine on the Hot 100 as the fourth top-10 song from the album. Sour broke the global Spotify record for the biggest opening week for an album by a female artist. It topped the charts in several countries, including the US Billboard 200, and was one of the best-selling albums of 2021.
Sour received widespread acclaim upon release, with critics regarded it as a solid debut album, underscoring Rodrigo's realistic lyrics and appeal to Generation Z. Various publications listed it among the best albums of 2021, including Billboard and Rolling Stone that placed the album at number one on their year-end rankings. At the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, Sour and "Drivers License" won Best Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance, respectively; Rodrigo won Best New Artist as well. A YouTube concert film and a Disney+ documentary, titled Sour Prom and Driving Home 2 U respectively, supplement the album. Rodrigo embarked on the Sour Tour, her first headlining concert tour, on April 5, 2022.
Background
In 2020, American actress and singer Olivia Rodrigo signed to Geffen Records, intending to release her debut EP the following year. American songwriter and producer Daniel Nigro was suggested by a friend to listen to Rodrigo's songs on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Soundtrack (2020). Nigro was "just completely blown away" and reached out to Rodrigo via Instagram, offering to work with her. The pair had a meeting to get to know one another, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the United States. They started collaborating after figuring out ways to work safely in isolation. She released her debut single "Drivers License", produced by Nigro, on January 8, 2021, to unprecedented commercial and critical success. Billboard declared the single one of the most dominant number-one songs in Hot 100 history.
Rodrigo began teasing a follow-up single by archiving her past Instagram posts and posting cryptic teasers of it on her social media accounts in late March 2021; on March 29, she announced that it would be titled "Deja Vu", and set a release date of three days later, reassuring fans that the announcement was not an April Fools' Day joke. Rodrigo unveiled the song's artwork in the same post. Following her rise to prominence, Rodrigo stated that she would be releasing a studio album instead of an EP, after she felt unsatisfied with the scope of a shorter project when only a full-length album would be "truly reflective of what [she] can do". Rodrigo had met with producer Dan Nigro in March 2020 a week before COVID-19 lockdowns commenced. Nigro was "blown away" after watching an Instagram video of Rodrigo playing her song "Happier". Recording for Sour took place throughout 2020 and into early 2021. Nigro said that with the pandemic, they were "oddly very fortunate to have as much time as we did to make music". The final production session took place on March 30, 2021.
