MELLISA HANNUM
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Olivia Rodrigo: SOUR

11/3/2021

 
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Sour by Olivia Rodrigo
Manufacturer: Import
ASIN:  B09886DX67
Label: Import
Copyright Date: 2021 
Genre: Rock
Subgenre: Alternative Pop




Summary
Sour is a rock album that includes songs that reflect the inspirations of pop punk, alternative pop, and bedroom pop ballads.  

Critical Evaluation
There are some real bangers on Sour including the intro song, "brutal" which has a punk rock tone. Most of the music falls within pop rock with certain songs showing more of an inclination to an alternative sound or ballad sensibility. Rodrigo's sweet voice caresses most melodies, a juxtaposition of the concepts reflected in the lyrics about first love and having your heart broken. The album's title refers to the the sour emotions that teens are often judged for having including anger, unhappiness, and jealousy. The album is written, in a partnership with her producer, by Rodrigo and reflects her own experiences of adolescence and heartache. Created during the Lockdown, the album is also a pinpoint in time, reflecting the loneliness of the early COVID experience. Songs do contain quite a few f-bombs but those word choices are indicative of the anger and betrayal of the lyrics. Most of the songs are about the high school teen experience, so it is not a surprise it is such a popular choice among teens.

Listener's Annotation
You may recognize Olivia Rodrigo from her role as Nini Salazar-Roberts on Disney+'s  High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Now listen to her first studio album, Sour.

About
hi there! my name is olivia! I’m 18 years old and writing songs is my favorite thing to do in the world. I’ve been doing it for as long as I can remember and I fall more in love with it every day. The first song I ever got published was called “All I Want.” I wrote it for a show I act in and it was a super cool experience that opened up a lot of doors for me. On the last day before Covid lockdown, I met the team at Interscope/Geffen records and a producer named Dan Nigro for the first time. 
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It turned out to be a very momentous day for so many reasons. I spent most of quarantine writing songs in my living room and producing them in a garage, including ‘drivers license’. It was always a really special song to me but I never expected the response it got. It absolutely blew my mind and I still to this day refuse to believe it all actually happened. The day I am writing this is actually the day that I turn in my debut album! I’m sooo excited for you to hear it and I feel so grateful that I get to make music for my job. (About from here.)

Musictalking Ideas
Discuss Olivia Rodrigo's career evolution from actress to musician.

Challenge issues: Explicit Lyrics
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Challenge Issue Resources:
Nevada County Library Selection Policy
Selection of materials is based upon a number of criteria that include:
  • proven or potential interest to the community served;
  • favorable reviews in library review media;
  • the existence, or lack, of similar materials in the collection;
  • the constraints of available space;
  • cost;
  • the extent to which the item is available elsewhere in the community.
An item need not meet all criteria to be acceptable, nor will any single criteria be decisive.
The Library selects materials in accordance with the guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, and Freedom to Read Statement and Freedom to View Statements.
The Library supports diversity of expression and views in its collection in an attempt to provide patrons with a foundation for making informed decisions and formulating personal opinions. The Library does not exclude items because of the race, nationality, social, political, or religious views of the authors. The presence of controversial materials in the collection does not represent the Library’s endorsement of the opinions expressed therein. Although some materials selected may contain language and/or illustrations that may be offensive to some patrons, the Library cannot undertake the task of pleasing all individuals by censoring such items.
 
Active Listening Skills 
Staff should listen calmly to the patron’s concerns without judgement or commentary. They should acknowledge the public’s right to challenge materials and help the patron find an alternative item that will fit their needs.

Nevada County Library Reconsideration form
Any citizen may challenge materials. If the citizen chooses to submit a written Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, Library staff will collect reviews and accumulate data on how the material conforms to the selection policy. An ad hoc review committee consisting of the Library Director, Branch Manager, one other librarian, and a citizen appointed at the discretion of the Library Director will review the material, judge whether it conforms to the Selection Policy and submit its report in writing to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Concerned parties will be notified of the final decision in writing.
 
ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials

ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

Why Included
If you have turned on the radio in the past few months, chances are one of the songs from Olivia Rodrigo's album Sour has been playing. Her songs of a first love that has ended have a universal theme, and their high school settings speak to the current experiences teens are having.

All materials chosen to reflect the needs of the teen patrons at the Nevada County Community Library, a public library in Northern California. Policies and procedures cited are also from the Nevada County Library unless otherwise noted.

All cover images sourced from Amazon.com.
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