Singer Reveals Obsession With Favorite Show on The Tonight Show

Olivia Rodrigo has revealed that her upcoming third studio album draws inspiration from the romantic dynamics of the HBO series Sex and the City, specifically the relationship between characters Steve and Miranda.

During an appearance on The Tonight Show, the singer discussed her admiration for the series and its influence on her songwriting process. Rodrigo described the show as her favorite and noted that she had watched every episode approximately three times.

“It’s my favorite show. I think I’ve watched every single episode maybe three times”

Olivia Rodrigo, singer

The inspiration comes amidst a broader period of creative development for the Grammy winner. In a cover story for the April 2026 issue of British Vogue, Rodrigo stated that she was 70 percent finished with the recording process for the new project.

Album Development and Themes

The upcoming project, titled You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, marks Rodrigo’s third studio LP. She announced the album’s arrival on April 2, 2026, ending a three-year wait for new full-length material following her previous work.

While the singer has teased that the album contains sad love songs, reporting indicates the project also reflects a shift toward more positive themes of love. The songwriting explores a range of emotions, including jealousy and longing stemming from her first serious relationship.

The first single from the project, Drop Dead, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track serves as an introduction to the thematic direction of the album, blending the singer’s established penchant for emotional vulnerability with new narrative influences.

Cultural Context and Influence

Rodrigo’s use of Sex and the City as a muse aligns with a wider trend of the series finding a new audience among Gen Z. By focusing on Steve and Miranda, Rodrigo highlights a specific interpersonal dynamic that has informed the lyrical content of at least one track on the new record.

This latest era follows the conclusion of a record-breaking world tour for her second album. In her reflections with British Vogue, the 23-year-old Filipino American artist described this current phase of her career as her most experimental to date.

The integration of television narratives into her music continues Rodrigo’s history of blending pop culture references with personal storytelling, a hallmark of her songwriting since her debut.