Andrew Ledbetter, professor and chair of communication studies at TCU, has made headlines for his published research analyzing
Taylor Swift music. Now, he’s turning to Olivia Rodrigo.
Following an examination of recurring themes, lyrics and connections across Swift’s songs, showing how they come together to create the larger story known as the “Taylorverse,” he’s exploring a similar thread in Rodrigo’s latest album. In a recent blog post, Ledbetter suggests that Rodrigo’s new album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love, was carefully designed so that the songs connect to each other in meaningful ways. He described the album as “outstanding.”
“I think part of the reason it’s outstanding is that it has a clear structure to it, where the album’s 13 tracks revolve around the middle track as a pivot point,” Ledbetter said. “In other words, tracks 6 and 8 echo each other, and 5 and 9, etc.”
He believes the album’s seventh track, “purple,” is the centerpiece of the story. The songs before it focus on falling in love, while the songs after it explore the heartbreak that follows.
The idea quickly gained traction among Rodrigo fans after Ledbetter shared his analysis on Reddit’s r/OliviaRodrigo community. Fans praised the depth of the research and the accessibility of his explanation. One commenter immediately recognized Ledbetter from an earlier Ask Me Anything session centered around Swift. Fans wrote that they were excited to see him applying similar methods to Rodrigo’s music. Others described the analysis as “fascinating,” thanked him for sharing an academic perspective with the fandom and said the framework changed how they understood the album’s storytelling.
The enthusiastic response highlights something Ledbetter’s research consistently demonstrates: popular music can be a serious subject of scholarly inquiry. Whether examining the interconnected “Taylorverse” or uncovering narrative patterns in Rodrigo’s latest release, his work shows how communication theory can reveal new layers of meaning in the songs millions of listeners already love.
Read more about Ledbetter’s research on Swift from TCU Magazine.
