ABSTRACT
Romantic breakups are common and stressful life experiences that increase risk for a range of poor mental health outcomes. In this entry, we use the lyrics from Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, to organise and discuss the scientific literature on how adolescents and adults cope with romantic relationship dissolution. In particular, we review the defining features of grief, the emotional pain that frequently accompanies romantic loss; how people cope with their feelings of grief; research on self-concept disruptions and self-concept recovery; and, what it means to be ‘psychologically resolved’ about a difficult breakup. Rodrigo’s lyrics on Sour convey the profound impact a breakup can have on our wellbeing and her songs highlight the many manifestations of grief. Rodrigo is not the first singer-songwriter or pop star to write a breakup album, but the lyrics on Sour are highly consistent with the scientific literature on romantic breakups. A key question that remains is whether Rodrigo’s next album will provide a window into her ideas about emotional recovery.
