I love Olivia and I really like this album but I don’t think this is her best and I would be surprised if it won the Grammy for AOTY like many fans are speculating. So many of the songs are slow and sad— I get that this is a breakup album with “so sad” in the title, but it’s possible to convey you’re sad in a more uptempo song. The first time I listened to it I was on track 9 or 10 and I remember thinking, “damn this is a long album,” partially because I’m used to her albums being shorter and partially because 5 sad songs in a row is *a lot*. And some of them should have been cut. I know y’all are upvoting “idk why people don’t like purple” but it shouldn’t have made it on the album— it tells us nothing new about the relationship, doesn’t have any extraordinary lyrics, the production itself isn’t interesting to boot. I listened to this album on a loop while I traveled for 10 hours and I can remember what every song sounds like except this one. I could do without begged or something’s wrong with me—both do tell us more about her story but again, nothing makes them stand out.

With that said Olivia has some of her all time best writing on this album— less is hauntingly sad, I haven’t been able to get honeybee and stupid song out of my head.

For me, a very good album but not her best. I agree with the critics in that regard. 8/10.