“brutal” is Olivia Rodrigo’s punk-rock take on teenage angst. The production by Dan Nigro complements SOUR’s other tracks like “good 4 u” and “jealousy, jealousy.”

Rodrigo sings about the misleading promise of youth, including all the betrayals, disappointments, parents' expectations, and challenges in our “golden years.”

The title hook, “it’s brutal out here,” references both the crude music industry and the difficult world that is adolescence. Olivia learns to navigate both for she was only 18 years old at the time of the song’s release.