OMG, Fans Are Convinced Olivia Already Has A Sequel To Sour Planned
It somehow involves Sour Patch Kids.
Five months into 2021, Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album Sour is definitely the most-talked-about record of the year. The 18-year-old singer-songwriter’s first project, which spawned hits like “drivers license” and “deja vu,” has already left Rodrigo stans plotting what could be in store next for their fave. So, will Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour have a sequel? It may seem too early to tell, but this TikTok theory might convince you it’s not.
Although Sour just dropped on May 21, critics and casual listeners alike are obsessed with how well it showcases Rodrigo’s songwriting prowess and appreciation for so many different genres. However, super-fans are naturally curious about what else the musician has up her sleeve, particularly because they’ve noticed a trend: Rodrigo used to post acoustic snippets of her singing tons of the unreleased songs she’d written, but none of those songs appeared on Sour.
Just two days after Sour was released, TikToker (and Rodrigo stan) Cody Johnathan explained that while the sneak peeks the Disney star used to post online were usually sweet love songs, all the songs on Sour were, of course, sour.
Enter: the compelling theory that Rodrigo’s sophomore LP will be a sequel to Sour, aptly called Sweet. “When I was listening to Sour, I was surprised that literally none of the songs were love songs, they were all post-breakup [songs],” Jonathan said in a May 23 TikTok. “So, my theory is that there’s a second album coming called Sweet, that has all of the sweet parts of a relationship and not the sour ones.”
According to Jonathan’s hypothesis, the love songs Rodrigo wrote and shared on social media will appear on this so-called Sweet record. However, his reasoning doesn’t stop there. He further noted that her collab with Sour Patch Kids evidences this second album title and concept — because Sour Patch Kids’ slogan is, “Sour then sweet.”
Is it a bit hasty to assume that this TikTok theory is correct? Perhaps. Rodrigo has been pretty transparent about why she didn’t include happy love songs on Sour. “I’m a songwriter who writes from a place of authenticity and truth,” she told Billboard in May. “And truthfully, love and happiness and everything weren’t feelings that I was feeling at the time. And what’s the point of putting out a record if it isn’t something that you feel is important to say to people?”
Moreover, it's not uncommon for passionate songwriters to pen music they don’t necessarily plan on ever releasing; Rodrigo also told Billboard that she actually enjoys writing music more than dropping it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she had dozens of songs beneath her belt that she plans on keeping to herself. (Or, Rodrigo might pull a classic T-Swift and release them years later — Swift is her idol, after all.)
As for the Sour Patch bit of the theory: Maybe Rodrigo’s collab with a candy brand is ~serious~ enough for her to conceptualize an album series in homage to it... but maybe not. Regardless, no matter the vision behind album no. 2, the starlet’s fans are sure to love it.
