Olivia Rodrigo’s New Album: ‘Experimental’ & Full of ‘Sad Love Songs’
Olivia Rodrigo’s forthcoming album will consist of “sad love songs,” the singer revealed in a new interview with British Vogue, as anticipation builds for the follow-up to her 2023 release, Guts.
Rodrigo described the new music as her “most experimental” function to date, with one track characterized as “smooth, trippy soft rock.” She explained that she was drawn to the nuance of heartbreak, noting, “I realised all my favourite romantic love songs were beautiful because they had a tinge of fear or yearning in them.”
The artist credited her time spent in London as a key influence on the album’s direction. “I’ve found a lot of inspiration from being in London,” she said. “I’ve spent so much time here over the course of making this album. It has a lot of songs that are London vibes, about experiences that I’ve had here.” She acknowledged the challenge of writing from a place of happiness, stating, “It was a creative challenge to write from a joyful place. When you’re experiencing that you’re connected to someone, or feeling really good, you’re not in your head thinking about bittersweet poems!”
Rodrigo’s relationship with British actor Louis Partridge, known for his roles in House of Guinness and Enola Holmes, is believed to be a contributing factor to her extended stays in London.
The Cure’s Robert Smith, who joined Rodrigo onstage at Glastonbury 2025, also contributed to the Vogue feature. Smith revealed he became a fan after hearing Rodrigo’s breakout single, “Drivers License,” and subsequently purchased both Sour and Guts. He praised the albums despite acknowledging they weren’t specifically targeted towards his usual demographic, stating, “While most of the songs on those two albums are not really ‘aimed at my demographic’, they are all so good that it is hard not to fall in love with them.”
Smith indicated a continued friendship with Rodrigo and hinted at potential future collaborations. “She calls me up quite a bit to talk about clothes and fashion – and we have enjoyed a couple of memorable nights in the studio together,” he said. “I can’t wait to hear what she does next!” He previously appeared with Rodrigo on her ‘Live From Glastonbury 2025’ album, released last year.
Rodrigo’s musical tastes have broadened recently to include New Order and Joy Division, alongside The White Stripes and Bikini Kill, following earlier influences from The Cure and Depeche Mode, bands she attended concerts with alongside her father. She has previously described her parents as having a strong affinity for “grunge, rock and alternative” music, which shaped her early musical exposure. In 2021, Rodrigo told NME that both her parents were “music heads” and actively supported her artistic pursuits from a young age, noting her diverse musical interests encompassed pop-punk, grunge, country, and folk.