Inside Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘the cure’: Stepping Into the Handmade World Behind Her Latest Music Video

There’s something about seeing a music video set in person that changes the way you see the video itself.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “the cure” is full of surreal details that make up its strange hospital setting, but seeing the original set up close at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles makes you realize just how much thought went into every part of it.

Olivia Rodrigo The Cure Unraveled poster

(via Grammy Museum)

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Curated by Kelsey Goelz, the exhibit opened today (Sep. 2) and brings the world of “the cure” into a space where you can actually take your time with it. Walking through the set, I kept finding myself stopping to look at things I probably would have missed on screen. Everything feels considered, from the larger pieces of the hospital down to the smallest props.

Olivia Rodrigo’s red yarn display at the Grammy Museum

(Photo credit: Alicia Zamora)

In the video, Rodrigo is searching for an antidote to her feelings by experimenting on felted human hearts inside the “OR.” As she tries to make sense of her emotions around love, the world around her begins to unravel. The visual style of the video plays with miniatures, animatronic heart puppets and stop-motion animation, all coming together to create something that feels playful, surreal and slightly off-kilter.

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The handmade construction is a huge part of what makes the set so special. Nearly every surface was created by hand, including the floor tiles and cardboard walls, which were individually painted. The props throughout the hospital were made using felting, embroidery and cardboard sculpting, giving the entire space a tactile quality that you can really appreciate when you’re standing inside it.

Olivia Rodrigo embroidery 'you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love'

(Photo credit: Alicia Zamora)

Then you start noticing the details. The glass brick wall inside the “OR” is made from more than 300 takeaway containers. The center spoke of the light hanging above it was made from a cookie tin. The bottles sitting on the shelves inside the miniature “OR” were made from gel nail polish material, while the hallway blinds were made from recycled packaging boxes.

Those details are easy to miss when you’re watching the video, which is part of what makes seeing the set in person so fun. You can actually stop and look at the things happening in the background instead of watching them disappear with the next shot. The longer you spend inside the set, the more you’ll find.

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There’s a real charm to seeing how all of these individual pieces were made and then seeing them together as one complete world. What could have simply been a backdrop becomes one of the most memorable parts of “the cure.” The set has so much personality that even when you’re not watching Rodrigo perform, there’s still plenty to look at.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “the cure” exhibit poster at the Grammy Museum

(Photo credit: Alicia Zamora)

The exhibit gives fans a chance to see that side of “the cure” for themselves—not just the finished video, but the creativity and craftsmanship sitting behind it. And after seeing the set up close, I know I’ll be watching the video a little differently the next time around.