Embedded Files
Harrison Mullin
(Euphoriazine)
Pop superstar, Olivia Rodrigo has officially released her sophomore album, “GUTS”. Some might know Rodrigo from her role in Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” or “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” However, after the overnight success of her 2021 hit “drivers license,” Rodrigo had quickly engraved her name as one of the main pop acts in the music industry. “Drivers license” was only Rodrigo's first solo song under a label, and it holds the record for most streamed song in a single week. The hit spent eight weeks at the number 1 spot on the billboard charts. By the time her Grammy awarded debut album, “SOUR”, was ready to release in May of 2021, Rodrigo had already broken multiple records. All eleven songs on the record charted in the Billboard Hot 100. Rodrigo's “SOUR” received 63.3 million streams on its opening day and went along to become the longest charting debut album ever.
(Rolling Stone)
While I do have some reservations with “SOUR”, I thought it was an incredibly strong debut album from an artist who some thought would be a one hit wonder. This record showcased Rodrigo’s personal and poetic songwriting, as well as her beautiful voice. While all the songs were well composed, Rodrigo seemed to write about the same relationship in 10/11 songs. She has proven that she can write a sad breakup ballad; I wanted to see Rodrigo push her songwriting beyond that in her next LP. Usually with artists in the industry, your second album shows if your first album wasn’t a fluke. So the questions raised are…is Olivia Rodrigo here to stay? Is "GUTS” worth your time? “SOUR” or “GUTS”? Let me tell you.
After the gigantic release of “SOUR”, Rodrigo didn’t release any new music for a full two years. Fans (including myself) were left starved after the major talent and potential she showed in her debut. Fans were finally able to exhale when Rodrigo announced her new single “vampire” in June, which quickly became the song of the summer - a song that I enjoy quite a bit. Soon after that, Olivia revealed the “GUTS” album cover and the release date coming in September. However, there were still two months before the album was released. But the “GUTS” rollout was just beginning.
Rodrigo quickly followed the major success of the number one hit "vampire" with a new song “bad idea, right?” released in late August. This song saw Rodrigo lean in a more grunge/pop rock style, which I think suits her incredibly well. I very much wanted Rodrigo to venture into new genres. Even though this song did take a couple listens to grow on me, I think it might be a stronger single than “vampire” at this point. Given these were the only tastes of the album we were given, my expectations were pretty high. Let’s look at the other 10 tracks to see what they have to offer.
("all american b****" vevo live performence)
Track one, “all-american b****”, certainly has an attention grabbing title. This pop/rock banger introduces the sound and themes of the album flawlessly. The name of the song is inspired by the novel, "The White Album" written by Joan Didon. Didon was known for calling out unfair social standards. Olivia reflects this with the writing on this track. She express her frustration with the pressing feeling of being the perfect “all american woman.” In the closing refrain of the song, Olivia softly sings, “All the time, I'm grateful all the time, I'm sexy, and I'm kind, I'm pretty when I cry.” "GUTS" gets right down to business immediately with “all-american b****”, making it a great opener.
From here, the two singles appear back to back, “bad idea, right?” and “vampire”. Both of which fit into the record flawlessly. Like I mentioned previously, “bad idea, right?” fits the pop-rock genre and sounds amazing. Like many other tracks on “GUTS”, Rodrigo is having fun. You can tell through the upbeat chorus which makes playful commentary about an ex: “Yes, I know that he's my ex, But can't two people reconnect? I only see him as a friend, The biggest lie I ever said.” Then, “vampire” being out for two months prior to the release of the record, in my opinion, still contains the strongest bridge on the album. Comparing an ex to a “blood-sucker” is a very pertinent and sour, if you will, accusation. However, Olivia is not holding back at all on this record.
(Rolling Stone)
Track four, titled “lacy”, is the first breath Olivia lets us take on the album. This is a soft spoken acoustic cut which is about a person named Lacy. Olivia is obsessed yet intimidated by this “lacy” character. The bridge on this song is strictly Olivia’s vocals and it sounds beautiful. The closing lyric reveals that Olivia gets down on herself for obsessing. She sings, “And I despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you, Yeah, I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you”. All in all this track is great and added to the highlights on this record.
(The Independent)
Track five, again, showcases Olivia’s comfortability in the pop/grunge style. Similarly to “bad idea, right”, “ballad of a home-schooled girl” showcases how much fun Rodrigo is having on this record. Olivia has been home-schooled all her life, and in this track she fears that because of being home-schooled she’s behind in the social aspect of her life. In the opening line of the song, Olivia sings, “Cat got my tongue, And I don't think I get along with anyone, Blood runnin' cold I'm on the outside of the greatest inside joke.” These deep lyrics contrasted by a fun upbeat rock style beat is something no one expected with a song labeled as a “ballad.” Definitely one of my favorites on the record.
(Business Insider)
The next song titled “making the bed”, showcases a side of song-writing where I really wanted Olivia to dive into. Because of her massive fame at a young age, I wanted to hear Olivia sing about her experiences in the industry so far. In this stunning track, Rodrigo writes about her discomfort with fame and her anxiety. When Olivia sings, “They tell me that they love me like I'm some tourist attraction, They're changin' my machinery and I just let it happen, I got the things I wanted, it's just not what I imagined'' it is revealed to the listener that maybe the famous musician lifestyle can be overwhelming. However, Olivia believes these thoughts and feelings are just anxiety because who wouldn’t want that lifestyle? “Making the bed” simply is a metaphor for Olivia herself constructing these negative feelings on herself. The writing on this track is simply some of the best writing I have heard from Olivia thus far. A genius song to close out the first half of the record.
(The Guardian)
Diving into the second half of the record we have “logical” which is a pretty formulaic ballad about being in a toxic relationship. The feeling of constantly being gaslighted is not a pleasant one. Olivia’s display of emotion on this track is vulnerable and raw. It’s not a bad track by any means, however, I do think Olivia has released stronger ballads. Thematically and sonically, this track reminds me of something that could have been on her debut, “SOUR.”
We jump right back into the pop/rock genre with the song “get him back!”; which is an instantly catchy and fun tune with its heavy grudge guitars and big bass guitars. Fans believe this song is about DJ, Zack Bia, who Rodrigo has a slight fling with in 2022. The song title acts as a double meaning, “get him back” meaning gaining back his love and affection or “get him back!” with vengeance because he treated you so horribly. Rodrigo definitely channels her inner Avril Lavine as the chorus holds a very shouty and “sing-along” aspect to it. It is possible the most catchy song on the entire record. I think there is no reason for anyone to dislike this track.
The next track, “love is embarrassing” is the shortest song of the record but I believe it serves its purpose. Again, Olivia leans in a more punky style with big distorted guitars and a loud chorus. Similar to other songs on the record, “love is embarrassing” sounds like the opening to a 2000s rom-com. It’s fun and catchy, what more do you need?
(Billboard)
As we reach the final stretch of this so far very impressive sophomore album, Olivia again proves what a talented songwriter she is on track 10, “the grudge.” Fans speculate that this song could have been about a possible fallout with Olivia’s life-long idol, Taylor Swift. Back when Olivia released her debut album “SOUR” in May of 2021, she featured a song almost using the exact same chords as Taylor Swift’s “reputation” song, “New Year’s Day.” Olivia rightfully credited Taylor Swift and her collaborator, Jack Antonoff. Then fans started pointing out the similarities between Olivia’s song “Deja Vu” and Taylor’s song “Cruel Summer.” Taylor and Jack quietly received writing credits for “Deja Vu '' after a rumored lawsuit, even though they were nowhere near the production of the song. In an interview with “Time” magazine in 2021 after Olivia was named entertainer of the year, she said, “It was really frustrating to see people discredit and deny my creativity." Ever since then, Olivia has not mentioned Taylor’s name after years of praising her. She never attended Taylor Swift’s incredibly successful Era’s Tour which North American leg occurred over the summer. However, there are still many dates left in which Olivia can attend. Who actually knows what occurred between the popstars; however, I think it’s safe to say something fishy went down. Regardless of whether or not there is beef, there is no doubt that Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo continue to be two of the best pop artists in the world and I will continue to support both. Now, back to “GUTS”, “the grudge” is yet another highlight. Olivia’s vocals are yeti again top notch. My favorite line in the whole album comes in this song, when Olivia sings, “And we both drew blood, but those cuts were never equal”. The pen game is strong to say the least.
After all of the incredible tracks leading up to this point, I believe at the moment, track 11 titled “pretty isn't pretty” is my favorite song on the entire LP. Olivia glides effortlessly over this indie rock instrumental that sounds like something from a Smashing Pumpkins record or The Cure. It’s also the lyrics here that sell it for me. Olivia deals with the constant feeling of insecurity. She painfully reveals that when she sings, “'Cause there's always somethin' missin' There's always somethin' in the mirror that I think looks wrong.” This is a song where you have to look past the light-hearted beat and find the true meaning of this track which is truly saddening. The track progresses flawlessly, making it my favorite on "GUTS."
At last we have made it to the final track. So far, this album has been nothing but well-written and well-composed pop music. As the album closes with “teenage dream”, Olivia wraps up the album flawlessly thematically. This song deals with the uncertainty of growing up and life might take you. While I'm not in love with the song sonically I do appreciate the emotion in the final leg of the track. Olivia lets it all out with the repeating phrase “They all say that it gets better”. However, the album is left open ended with Olivia asking “But what if I don’t?” This record is all about the uncertainty and anxiety that is growing up and “teenage dream” wraps it all up flawlessly.
(Dexerto)
Now, the pressing question, “GUTS” or “SOUR”? The truth is both are incredibly composed and strong pop records. Even though it has only been released for two weeks, I think I can see “GUTS” being the better and more mature version of “SOUR.” She has improved and pushed her songwriting and sound on this record. So given this, I think “GUTS” is 100% worth your time. I believe that listeners of any kind of music can find something they love in this record. Even though I might not be the target audience, anyone can hear the emotion and effort Olivia put into this record. Olivia certainly deserves the hype and has made something very special. “GUTS” is definitely not a sophomore slump. I can’t wait to see where Olivia Rodrigo goes next!
Page updated
Report abuse