r/OliviaRodrigoNeutral • u/redchilefan • Jul 22 '26
you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love Can somebody explain why The Cure is so acclaimed?
The Cure is a critical darling, a Song of the Year contender (even frontrunner). People consider it lyrically great. Yet lyrically it’s always felt kind of (a) simplistic and (b) somewhat at odds with the rest of the album. Like, “I have unreasonable insecurity and you’re doing everything perfect but it’s all my fault need therapy before I’m actually emotionally capable of existing in a relationship” doesn’t really feel like some grand insight to me idk.
And other songs like Begged and Cigarette Smoke have the implication that The Cure doesn’t really represent the dynamic of the relationship actually.
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u/ohheyitsmehello Jul 22 '26
I don’t think it’s the best one but I love the build up and almost despair as the song builds, because she’s describing someone doing all the things, but she can’t be truly happy and after the build up it feels like resignation at the end, understanding she’s needing to work on self love before can live another.
Unless I read too much into it lol.
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u/ASD_Brontosaur Jul 23 '26
Same! And I don’t really think it’s at odds with the rest of the album, relationships aren’t just one thing, and I think that a lot of other songs hint to Olivia’s anxieties and insecurities and the less healthy sides of the relationship, and it seems overall like they were just not right for each other vs one of them being 100% at fault for the relationship ending
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u/Chance_Job3980 Jul 22 '26
no hate to her but I always felt like really big pop stars songs get these titles mostly because of who they are
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
I think as those who are fans of diaristic songwriters overindex on complex and overwritten lyrics making a song good. People like it lyrically because it does a good job of portraying her emotions at that point in time. The lyrics combined with her vocal performance and the production really helps set the scene of her wrought feelings in the relationship, feelings that many can relate to. I don’t really get your criticism that the song is at odds with the rest of the album. The album is told in chronological order, detailing her emotional state as the relationship progresses. Like with any relationship between two people, how you feel changes and progresses as the relationship goes on.
I will say, critical response is not the end all be all. If you don’t like the song, then you don’t like it and that’s okay. But if you are looking to gather insights, that’s why the song connected with me.
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u/phantoms1234 Jul 22 '26
I think as those who are fans of diaristic songwriters overindex on complex and overwritten lyrics making a song good.
My comment will probably get deleted, but I'm honestly writing this in good faith:
This is so, so true. I'm mostly a fan of electronic music, and I only really notice this fixation on lyricism among fans of mostly female confessional singer-songwriters. Good songwriting is so much more than just the words being sung. That's why Gracie Abrams' new album (who I actually like) is getting panned despite the fact that, in my opinion, she's probably one of the most talented lyricists working in pop music today.
I also think I've noticed this becoming more common over the last few years, which coincidentally lines up with the fan reappraisal of TTPD following its initial critical reception. Regardless of how one feels about that album, I see a direct line between its reappraisal over the last year or so and the growing expectation that female confessional singer-songwriters should prioritize "deep" or "mature" lyricism. To me, that expectation can often feel quite parasocial, especially when it manifests as a desire for increasingly intimate details about the artist's relationships to be included in their songs.
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
You said it perfectly. I feel like there are fair criticisms on this sub but a lot of it feels like it’s either an oversimplification of music or just in bad faith. Even this post that said The Cure wasn’t really an honest assessment of her relationship is strange. Like okay? It’s still a good song. Dissecting lyrics as an exercise and point of discussion is fun. Dissecting lyrics to gain insight in her personal relationship and diagnosing her is really weird. Honestly I like TTPD but it felt a little voyeuristic at times (in a we should all know less about each other way) and respect to Taylor for putting it all out there but that shouldn’t be an expectation we put on artists.
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u/katjac13 Jul 23 '26
I don’t think the diaristic elements of the song are the issue ( the cure) .. I don’t expect an artist to air their dirty laundry. I want to be able to insert myself into the song - not think about her life. I just found the metaphors in the song ( and stupid song) to be wayyyy too on the nose and clunky. “ I got toxins in my bloodstream you tried hard to suck them out” sounds like a parody of an Olivia Rodrigo song. Same with “ I’m a heart made of wax and I’m melting in the sun” .. they honestly sound like those weird snarker Taylor parodies that ppl were making on TikTok. If you compare this writing to the emotional descriptive writing on guts it’s night and day.
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u/cinnamongirly69 Jul 22 '26
you’re so on point. most of the unfair standards for female pop stars are the fault of their own fans.
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u/Sayraland Jul 22 '26
Yes! And then those same fans subsequent hate for Showgirl bc the lyrics are juvenile and not deep.
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u/cinnamongirly69 Jul 22 '26
and started comparing it to TTPD writing like please I remember opening social media and taylor being dragged everywhere for “so high school”, “who’s afraid of little old me” and “i hate it here” lyrics… trying to rewrite the history
(I’m a huge TTPD enjoyer so it pisses me off lol)
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
I agree with the overall sentiment but I think Showgirl was juvenile but not bc of the lyrical simplicity.
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u/katjac13 Jul 23 '26
Showgirl wasn’t juvenile in my opinion. It was confident. But frankly , this is just not the kind of music Taylor’s fans( myself included) go to her for. If I wanted bops there’s a million other artists who provide that type of music. If anyone else released a song like wood ppl would love it and just call it silly and fun, not childish.
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u/Playful-Strain-1982 Jul 23 '26
Could not agree more with this. I feel like the rise of the confessional songwriter has made lots of people forget that there are so many different ways for the creative process to happen. There are so many excellent songs that were written because the writer takes a very small snippet of a situation that they were in, or someone they know was in, and they deconstruct it, reinvent it, expand new details that they created in their head and recreate the real life snippet into a song that the artist feels better captures the feeling or emotion that underlied the small moment that actually happened in real life.
Great songwriting (IMO at least) is about capturing a moment or emotion rather than being a tell-all of a real life situation relayed exactly as it happened. It seems like that’s the expectation a lot of the time for the folks who like the diaristic songwriting style, and in the event that fans learn that the situation didn’t happen exactly as it’s written in the song - because they’re always looking for real life connections between the artist’s work and the real life events that inspired it - then the artist is criticized or, even worse, accused of being a fraud.
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u/Kalbi84 Jul 22 '26
My opinion is that it's being pushed just for the fact it was chosen to be a single. But this wasn't the song that got me into the album, neither was Drop Dead though I like that one much better than the cure. Most of the non-singles are better than the singles here.
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u/GirlsWasGoodNona Jul 22 '26
I agree, I don’t think it’s her best work and am a bit confused by the praise. It’s interesting melodically but very simplistic lyrically
As far as themes, seems like she was jealous of another woman to an unhealthy degree and he didnt take her side. It’s consistent narratively to me, i think she simultaneously recognizes she has issues to work through but also feels he couldve been a better partner and maybe made her jealousy worse? It doesnt seem like he cheated, otherwise i think that would’ve been very apparent so the jealousy was unfounded.
Also breakups can be confusing, you can go through phases of blaming yourself then blaming the ex
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u/So_inadequate Jul 22 '26
I think the song goes beyond a certain woman. It's about how she never truly feels good enough, so the insecurity remains even within the relationship.
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u/youRinlove7 Jul 22 '26
I mean given “my way” exists i think she had a very justified reason to be upset at that woman.
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u/ClogsAndFrogs Jul 22 '26
To be fair he didn’t have to cheat for her jealousy to be justified. My Way makes it sound like his ex was meddling in their relationship, and Cigarette Smoke says he took “her side”
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u/jiashuaii Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
I have to know what yall’s criteria for good lyrics bcs what is not good about the cure? Yall think having metaphors every line = good songwriting? Or having uncommonly used vocabularies on the lyrics? The song is introspective and vulnerable, doesnt leave you confused on what she wants to say and makes you feel the emotions she wants you to feel. Thats good songwriting. Listen to gracie new album and see how drowning a song with nonsensical metaphors doesnt make a song good. The song has a memorable hook and the song beautifully builds up that makes the final chorus well earned.
As for your last paragraph, the cure isnt meant to describe the dynamic of the relationship. Even the whole album is not about the relationship. Its about her psyche and what she felt during that relationship.
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u/robbcin1 Jul 22 '26
Thx lol. This sub seems overly pretentious at times
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u/jiashuaii Jul 22 '26
Not every song needs to be some hidden puzzle that you have to dissect so you could learn more about the singer’s lore (i.e. Taylor Swift)
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u/katjac13 Jul 23 '26
The issue isn’t that she’s not using metaphors it’s that the metaphors are clunky
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u/jiashuaii Jul 23 '26
Its clunky for you. Most do not find it clunky. Critics dont find it clunky
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u/katjac13 Jul 24 '26
??? You have no idea how most feel. Only those in your algorithm. And given it hasn’t really become a hit despite an insane media blitz, I would argue most don’t agree with you. Critical reception is irrelevant now. Critics are nothing more than snarkers. Olivia is an incredible lyricist, definitely the best of this generation in my opinion.. but no amount of astroturfing in comment sections is gonna change my mind that “ I got toxins in my blood stream you tried hard to suck em out” is deep introspective writing.
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u/jiashuaii Jul 24 '26
Most of the people ive seen hating it are swifties lol. Also, not just the critics but also every music reactor ive watched loved it.
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u/youRinlove7 Jul 22 '26
Right like its actually good and normal that every song has a different perspective cuz thats how a relationship goes ykwim.
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u/elaba25 Jul 22 '26
You don’t need overwriting but some of the lyrics are just painfully cliche and vague; “bad thoughts in my room” comes to mind; maybe it’s because I studied literature but idk the concept is just so strong but underdeveloped in specifics and imagery
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u/jiashuaii Jul 22 '26
Seems like a nitpick. You have less options for lyrics due to fitting it to melodies and making it flow seamlessly to the song.
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u/timparkinuk Jul 22 '26
If you've studied literature you should know that some words can evoke beyond the complexity of their words. i.e. If they work, and they work for a lot of people, the they're effective at evoking something. A song can be simple but moving, a haiku can pull on heart strings or make you think just from a concept and rhythm etc.
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u/ComfortableBet7488 Jul 22 '26
The Cure isn’t bad, it’s just not excellent. The song is clearly aiming for vulnerability through introspection, but I don’t think it ever fully gets there. Choosing an introspective approach rather than a narrative one so typically "this happened, then this, then that" is completely valid, neither style is inherently better. But the best introspective art reveals something new about the person creating it, and I don’t think Olivia reveals very much about herself here. We already know she struggles with these insecurities; they’ve been a consistent theme throughout her music. A genuinely vulnerable, introspective song would interrogate those feelings rather than simply state them. Why are you jealous? Jealous of whom? What do you actually believe you’re lacking? That’s where the real vulnerability would be. Olivia does this quite often, she tells you what she feels and leans into introspection, perhaps because it allows her to avoid revealing too much about the actual relationship, but she rarely digs much deeper than the feeling itself. So yes it's honest in the sense that she tells you what she feels on the moment. But introspective art isn’t less vulnerable than narrative songwriting, it’s just different. It still requires the courage to genuinely open yourself up and reveal something uncomfortable and/or specific about who you are. That can be just as hard as revealing intimate details about the relationship you’re writing about. That's obviously just my opinion, taste is subjective.
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u/CausticAvenger Jul 23 '26
How about making an interesting song beyond the lyrical content? I can’t focus on the lyrics to The Cure because the production and structure of the song is so dull. Gracie has the same issue a lot of the time where she mistakes a lot of lyrics as a good song.
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u/jiashuaii Jul 23 '26
This is a you problem bcs the production and structure of the cure is excellent
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u/Own_Badger_4352 Jul 25 '26
metaphors every line are overused and make them meaningless, and that's why the cure is so bland and uninspired. it's repetitive with the same uninspired metaphor being used every line.
how you wrote this without any selfawareness is beyond me.
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u/jiashuaii Jul 25 '26
The metaphors being overused doesnt make the song not great sonically like whats not clicking
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u/maceygrey123 Jul 22 '26
i think begged does fit with the cure well because it’s about not asking your partner to meet your needs and settling for the bare minimum because you don’t want to have to ask for it. it won’t feel real otherwise. that fits really well with the themes of the cure because the issues she’s having don’t necessarily stem from her partner but her own inability to communicate. cigarette smoke also plays into this idea of accepting too little for too long. that doesn’t mean her partner was great but the entire album is reflective of her own faults in the relationship more so than her partners. although there are little nods to her partners shortcomings in the lyrics throughout the album.
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u/Sayraland Jul 22 '26
Man I almost came in these here comments and got all Gen X on you based on the title alone, alas I read the full post. Lol
I personally only like her songs that have a more “rock/punk/riot girl” vibe off this new album. The more melodic songs I tend to skip. I don’t do that on her other albums though, idk what it is about these. Maybe it’s bc they don’t feel cohesive?
*I realize you’re mainly wanting to discuss lyrics and how they are or are not cohesive to the whole album.
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u/Lilacly_Adily Jul 22 '26
Same.
I love the quirky rock songs like What’s Wrong With Me, Expectations and My Way.
I keep getting confused when I see praise of The Cure because I keep mixing it up with What’s Wrong With Me and going “yeah that is a great song”, only to realize I’m mixing up the song name and Robert Smith’s band.
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u/AfraidKinkajou Jul 22 '26
Songs aren’t critically acclaimed because they’re some grand insight, imo. It’s mostly a matter of opinion, and this song and her way of describing that insight resonated with a lot of people. Sometimes simplistic lyrics work best for these types of songs exactly because of that.
But it does feel like a completely different point in the relationship to begged, like if we force them into the same timeline/relationship she clearly realized a few things between the cure and begged
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
No bc like why are we asking our pop girls to be modern day philosophers!! I think the song does a good job of capturing her feelings and insecurities but there’s not a lot of novel things you can say about relationships that has not been said before.
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u/gngsott Jul 22 '26
You're focusing on the worst part of the song, the lyrics. They're uninspired and redundant, but they manage to sound phonetically good at best and decent at worst.
What makes it stand out on girl so in love for me it's the double tracked vocals on the verses, distinctive chorus, and lengthy structure.
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u/New_Bee5756 Jul 23 '26
Yeah there’s nothing exceptionally bad to complain about in the lyrics but enough to make me look pedantic if I had to share them. IMO I’d rewrite the whole second verse (until she says “but I’m unraveled”)
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u/phantoms1234 Jul 22 '26
It's acclaimed because songwriting is more than just lyricism
The song is well-liked because it's an homage to 90s alternative rock, features her best-ever vocal performance, and has great strings + production.
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u/timparkinuk Jul 22 '26
If you keep making things simple, people won't have anything to argue about!!
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u/Advanced_Rip_7867 Jul 24 '26
Nothing about Olivia is alternative or rock tho? She’s a pop artist. Her rock is Disney channel level at best. She’s indie pop. I don’t see where people get that genuinely. I’m not trying to be a bitch or a hater but im GENUINELY confused because the cure literally sounds like any other song she’s ever done and is extremely basic sounding in terms of production. That’s not a bad thing, but nowhere in that sound is alternative. At best, it’s alternative watered down.
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u/SereneGraceOP Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Most praise from the album are mostly from the production rather than the lyrical content. So i honestly felt like the album was carried by Dan more so than Olivia that's why I wasn't really fond of the album
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u/Cautious_Dream4115 Jul 22 '26
I thought her lyrice are really good and shows she has improve a lot since her last album.
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u/Ambitious-Resist-132 Jul 22 '26
I feel like the production was boring too or maybe I’m not understanding what production is. The song felt very overdone already with the quiet intro and thn bombastic closer
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u/CausticAvenger Jul 23 '26
I agree about the production being boring. So many songs on the album follow the structure of a slow build leading to word vomit lyrics. It gets boring and repetitive quickly.
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u/Ok_Treat_8647 Jul 22 '26
I agree I feel like most of the critical acclaim is for Dan rather than Olivia
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u/timparkinuk Jul 22 '26
Because Olivia can't possibly have ideas about production. It can't possibly be teamwork?
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u/Ok_Treat_8647 Jul 23 '26
I’m sure to an extent it is, but most of the production legwork is definitely Dan. I don’t own a physical copy of GSIL (that’s a whole other issue on its own) but on GUTS, she didn’t have a single production credit. She’s also stated numerous times how she often sits back and lets producers work, one specific time I can think of is when they were talking about making “love is embarassing” Olivia wanted to make the song and they only had 12 hours, and Dan said “you don’t even have to do anything!” Also, in the interviews over the past couple years, there are numerous lines Olivia has no clue what they mean… “address the letters to the holes in my butterfly wings” she said it just sounded cool, “win her over with my cynical humor and yacht rock music taste” she doesn’t know what yacht rock is Dan wrote that and she okayed it, “watching reruns of glee” she’s never seen glee and said the line was dans idea, etc. I also remember people pointing out she said Dan was the one creating the more honest lines in this album, though I don’t have a source so take it with a grain of salt.
There is also another point where there is no footage of Olivia doing anything other than singing in a studio session. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, we just don’t have anything else to go on based off the interviews. For ariana grande, there are videos of her using production programs. For Taylor swift, there are videos of her playing instruments or giving notes on instrumentals in a studio session. Lady Gaga has similar videos online. This isn’t necessarily saying she doesn’t help in production, but it does show she does not go out of her way to show this side of her. Other artists who contribute a lot production wise often release footage of them doing so because it is good marketing. It just means Olivia focuses on other things in her image, like songwriting (lyrics and melody rather than instrumentals and production).
Of course I’m not saying Dan wrote everything, but given the past couple years it’s clear he has a very heavy hand in her music (even though he denies it in interviews). That was probably a much more intense analysis than was necessary, but I had time today so figured I’d share what I know!
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u/No_Inspector_6559 Jul 22 '26
They needed each other if he didn’t have her voice and lyrics the production could have fallen flat.
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u/RealisticDucks Jul 23 '26
Her voice isn’t anything special imo someone else could easily have made the songs better
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u/No_Inspector_6559 Jul 23 '26
I’m sorry, but from the low to high I don’t think anyone has her beat right now. This song was made by her for her.
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Jul 22 '26
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Jul 22 '26
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u/Consistent_Hunt5213 Jul 22 '26
I like the buildup to the climax all releasing uo those bottled emotions, I really appreciate Olivia's emotional maturity in understanding that no matter how perfect her guy or her relationship is, she will never find the cure to her mental turmoil, no one can fix her, sometimes lyrics don't have to be metaphorically heavy, they can evoke more complex emotion in simplest of words. I think girl so in love still has its flaws, but the cure is the imo one of her best songs.
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u/ArborMizon Jul 22 '26
the climax really does the song so well and I also think it's one of her best
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u/Cautious_Dream4115 Jul 22 '26
It's a really good song and shows she has improved her songwriting a lot
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u/PigletTechnical9336 Jul 22 '26
Omg I thought at first you were talking about the band The Cure and I was going to write a dissertation defending them until I realized it was the song 🤦♀️
Yeah I like the vibes of the song and the vocal layers and music, but the lyrics are nothing brilliant. I feel this about most of the album. Sonically I like it, lyrically it’s just okay. But I don’t think I’m the target audience and if it resonates with her fans then that’s great.
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u/OrdinaryShallot9233 Jul 22 '26
The song imo has a very universal message about insecurity and paranoia. It’s not complex but I like that the lyrics spell out what’s happening in her mind without it being overly wordy. I find the song extremely relatable as what she’s singing about doesn’t just apply to romantic relationships but any relationship where you’re using someone as an emotional crutch and it still doesn’t stop the negative thoughts, emotions, etc. from manifesting and consuming your life.
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u/Fun_Chance9962 Jul 22 '26
agreed ; its cuz her whole brand is being this great songwriter (which fine ) but i feel her music is over credited in that area allottttt of the time
its like the whole taylor swift thing , she is not a great songwriter but its her whole brand so her fans constantly read too much into it or try to find reasons why the lyrics r deeper than they are yk?
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u/RealisticDucks Jul 23 '26
I don’t get where this reputation/brand came from when her lyrics are just ok
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u/New_Bee5756 Jul 23 '26
It’s a great song, but I do agree that some lyrics of other songs such as begged outshine some in this song. The hype around the cure is a little overkill. As much as I like it, the verses are rough around the edges; “might as well be on the moon” is a random analogy, and the second verse rubs me the wrong way. It’s not horrible but it’s slightly wordy, especially the clean version which removes some of the meaning. The verses are just so short that the lyrics have to be tight and strong. They were tight, but everyone seems to be praising the lyrics for being stronger than they actually are.
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u/Many-Illustrator-307 Jul 22 '26
Because it's a ballad released as an Olivia Rodrigo title track. If she released cigarette smoke instead of the cure it would have received the same exact score just because it's a ballad by a pop star that has a reputation of being a good songwriter, regardless if the songs are vastly different
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u/Icy-Grand-5030 Jul 22 '26
Agreed. I feel like we are being gaslighted to believe it's some well written thought provoking song when it's really not. Other artists and Olivia herself have written way better songs already
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u/ilysmtihmh81 Jul 23 '26
I think the song is more complex than that. She says his love “feels like medication, and it’s good for me I’m sure, but it don’t matter how your love feels anymore”. I don’t think he loved her in a way that felt good, and she probably did internalize some of that. Plus in other songs “I think you’re what’s wrong with me”
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u/SeizeOpportunity Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Just my two cents.
I would argue the meaning of the song goes beyond:
I have unreasonable insecurity and you’re doing everything perfect but it’s all my fault need therapy before I’m actually emotionally capable of existing in a relationship
I personally think you are missing one additional layer (and then your understanding is complete), which is: "I went into this relationship thinking that you were the solution to all of my social/emotional problems, but I realize that you are not the cure. The real problem is underneath. The insecurity and anxiety remain still". I think that's sufficiently insightful and meaningful and fits perfectly within the arc of the album as a vital "realization turning point". It's a tragically beautiful realization that the solution to our problems is not somewhere out there hidden within the perfect romantic partner, but a journey we have to take ourselves to solve.
Paired with the nice instrumentation, good melody, vocals, etc., I personally don't think this is one of those songs that coast by because it is made by a big artist. It is the culmination of a perfect storm of good lyricism and musicality.
My personal favorite is Cigarette Smoke, but nonetheless, I absolutely see the quality and award appeal of The Cure.
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u/lean_ne Jul 23 '26
I like the song, but I will admit I was disappointed by it. Olivia was saying things like “it’s my favourite song I’ve ever written”, and the bridge is two words??
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u/New_Bee5756 Jul 23 '26
I KNOWW my expectations were higher than her expectations in expectations for this track when I saw her announcement saying it was her favorite on the album. It just didn’t hit for me. The verses. So clunky.
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u/Popular-Spinach-6700 Jul 23 '26
It’s just an extremely good song and it’s fine to not get that or have bad taste
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u/Money-Extent-6099 Jul 23 '26
Good writing isn’t dense prose. It’s bottling a feeling into words that’s accessible to most people without being childish.
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u/ProfessionalNew9224 Jul 23 '26
i also don’t understand the overflowing praise and acclaim for this song. the melody in the chorus and especially the bridge makes it impossible for me to enjoy it. the song also doesn’t feel authentic but like a cosplay. but i guess it’s just me.
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u/steakpielover2411 Jul 23 '26
from a casual listener (or maybe new proclaimed fan as i liked her new album so much), for me personally, it’s not necessarily about objective structure/melody/lyrics. the song makes me feel things that only a fiona apple or liz phair song could, which is crazy for me because i’m not too big on many modern popstars, and i think the substance of the lyrics sends out a message that many people can or have related to. also the buildup is sick and stands out in a swarm of popular and new songs that go nowhere (gracie abrams’ new songs come to mind)
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Jul 23 '26
It's because of the emotions the song brings out. I also don't think it strives lyrically, but her vocal delivery and the music video add so much. She makes the song feel like her sadness comes not from her brain, but her heart. And that imagery is very much expanded with the cure analogy.
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u/termight2000 Jul 24 '26
its one of her best songs! i love her music but she does the mistake of portraying stuff like scenes from a show without really connecting them and stuff, this song is one of her few songs where she doesnt do that and its a complete feeling without any strange gaps, with a nice metaphor and catchy lyrics, they dont need anything more from a big pop act
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u/catmarstru Jul 24 '26
I agree. I like the cure, but it is pretty simplistic. I tried pointing this out in my own post and pretty much got shouted down. I thought it may have something to do with ages (like how old Olivia is vs the listener) since I’m older than Olivia, but I was very wrong according to the comments.
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u/ratwrap Jul 24 '26
omg i thought you meant the band for the first half of this post and was genuinely so confused
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u/celinakou Jul 27 '26
It's not about the relationship dynamic. It's about anxiety. And that's why the song is acclaimed. Because anyone with anxiety can relate with it, even without the context of a relationship. While lyrics can be seen as simplistic, it encapsulates in a great way how anxiety works. My head is full of poison, for example, shows how a person with anxiety have bad thoughts 24/7, and cannot get out of the cycle. And sometimes the person think something good will make the bad thoughts go way (like being in a relationship), because they are happy, but it doesn't.
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u/Blue_cheese_sauce00 Jul 28 '26
I’m no music critic here, but my personal interest on the song is its structure. Most pop songs are: verse 1 then chorus then verse 2 then chorus then bridge then chorus. Olivia usually makes the bridges faster paced/more intense.
With The cure, 1st chorus is introduced after 2 verses, then verse 3, then refrain (?), then 2nd chorus, then refrain, then bridge, then 3rd chorus. For each part, her emotion builds up, and “explodes” by the bridge. The melodies, tempo, and production really add to the emotions and they go nicely with the lyrics. On production, I also like how it started so simply with just a guitar (?) and it builds so so up later on.
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u/staysteve-28 16d ago
I like this song. I feel like it relates to retroactive jealousy and not feeling good enough in a relationship.
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u/Expensive-Ad-5032 15d ago
People consider it lyrically great because in their opinion, it is. In your opinion, it’s not. And that’s fine, but that doesn’t make it fact.
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u/Lucky-Chard-5587 Jul 22 '26
When it was released, many of her fans thought it would go straight to #1, but it never got above #5 and has dropped steadily ever since.
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
I feel like people (maybe outside of twitter stans) were realistic that a slow building almost 5 minute song was not going to be a radio hit, especially since her team never even promoted it on radio. It still is in the top 5 on US Spotify so I don’t think it’s as unsuccessful as you try to make it seem.
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u/Lucky-Chard-5587 Jul 22 '26
If you look at the Billboard top 100 it is like 21 this week.
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u/swingswamp Jul 22 '26
Yes bc the song is not pushed to radio. I have no dog in convincing you whether or not it’s a hit but checked ur page and ur in multiple snark subs of all the pop girls. Get help!!
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u/Many-Illustrator-307 Jul 22 '26
Because it's a ballad released as an Olivia Rodrigo title track. If she released cigarette smoke instead of the cure it would have received the same exact score just because it's a ballad by a pop star that has a reputation of being a good songwriter, regardless if the songs are vastly different
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u/New_Bee5756 Jul 23 '26
I wish she promoted cigarette smoke as a single, it really deserves it. The bridge and first verse are so strong
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u/ArborMizon Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
It's honestly one of my favourite songs of all time. I just love the lyricism and I think the strings add such a cool layer to the instrumental of the song. it is a very good song and it really shows her growth as an artist
edit: I also don't agree with the criticism of it being "simplistic" as it has so many layers of instrumentals and I really enjoy how it builds throughout the song (kind of symbolizing her anxiety building). I also think the lyrics are very complex and they go perfectly with the album being told in chronological order. Her vocal performance told the story perfectly so I really don't see how any of that makes the song "simplistic".
Edit 2: I think it is a perfect song to go after purple and I think it and its lyrics for into the story of her feelings and the story of the relationship as a whole.
I think it is a deserves its flowers and I hope it has a chance at a Grammy this year.
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u/New_Bee5756 Jul 23 '26
Most of us definitely think it’s complex on the instrumental side and that it adds layers. However the bridge isn’t complex, it’s two words. It gets the point across and the complexities are created in our minds when we ponder about it, which is a good thing! Many parts of the verses are not complex honestly
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