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Olivia Rodrigo

After a solid debut with "Drop Dead," Olivia Rodrigo

Variety Music·May 22, 2026·via Variety Music

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May 22, 2026 5:30am PT

Olivia Rodrigo Is Heartsick Again With ‘The Cure’ and, Well, That’s a Little More Like It: Single Review

Her new song and video provide all the assurance any fan could need that the pop superstar's third album is on the righr track, musically and emotionally.

By Chris Willman

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Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

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All right — now you’re ready for Olivia Rodrigo ‘s third album.

Not that the first single from the LP, “Drop Dead,” didn’t properly prime her audience for what’s coming. It wouldn’t have debuted at No. 1 if it didn’t do a sufficient job of creating expectancy; several other equally big pop ladies have recently flopped with equally high-profile comeback songs, proving that Rodrigo didn’t return on top strictly on the basis of name value. But “Drop Dead” felt like a deliberate outlier song, testing the waters to see whether her audience would accept Rodrigo in a chipper mood. They did, but that didn’t mean the fans didn’t still want Rodrigo to go sour on them again.