Olivia Rodrigo’s New Album Dances Between Cure Goth and Swiftian Pop

Slate culture critic Carl Wilson argues Olivia Rodrigo’s You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love leans into goth-tinged Cure influence, with Robert Smith guesting on the track “What’s Wrong With Me” and nods to the Cure throughout, while still channeling Swift’s confessional pop energy; the 51-minute album weaves moodier songwriting with Rodrigo’s edge, creating a dialogue between Cure’s goth era and Swift’s modern pop sensibility.