GUTS By Olivia Rodrigo: An Album Review

By: Jenna Jenkerson

November 13, 2023

Olivia Rodrigo is the teenage girl’s spokesperson.  

She understands girls more than almost any other popular singer. Rodrigo’s Contemporaries lack the intricate lyrics Rodrigo have, which are inspired by stars like Taylor Swift, Lorde and Paramore. Bursting into the music industry with her hit single “Drivers License” and critically acclaimed debut album SOUR, Rodrigo’s second release had high expectations to beat. When I found out about the album’s announcement, I had hoped that her new album would take a more rock and alternative turn than her debut, a sound I believed fit her better. And she did that, along with adding her sad pop ballads she is known for. 

Rodrigo takes major influence from 90s and 2000s rock on GUTS, a theme I noticed throughout the entirety of the album. A thing rock does well is its ability to make the most scream worthy songs in the world that make you want to jump up and down and its ability to gravitate towards angsty teenagers. Rodrigo embraces that with songs like “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “Get him back!” A noticed improvement from her pop punk songs from SOUR, her vocals have improved by miles and the lyrics are more gut punching and hilarious, embarrassingly admitting in “ballad of a homeschooled girl” that she thought her fling’s mom was his wife. 

Don’t worry though! Rodrigo gives plenty of what she is best at, depressing ballads to cry to in the middle of the night! Songs such as “Vampire” are a return to those roots. In the first single released for the album, Rodrigo sings about the lies told from an old relationship. She knows she should have been more careful; she knows that she made mistakes, as She gathers up all her anger in the bridge, confessing to her former lover that he has no heart.  

Another song that returns to what Rodrigo is best known for is “lacy”. The 4th song on the album, Rodrigo says it started as a poem according to an interview on Wired. Filed with similes comparing lace and puff pastry and Bardot reincarnates, she expresses her jealousy of Bardot reincarnates rumored to be Sabrina Carpenter, while she quietly loses herself.  

The album’s standout track is the final track “teenage dream”. A moody, contemplative track about the fear of growing up and anxiety, the bridge’s instrumental instantly reminisces of two songs, “New Years’ Day” by Taylor Swift and “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish. With a smooth piano start, she asks when people will stop viewing her as an overly wise person and just a wise person. She also mentions her age, a theme that shows up on multiple songs on the album and this song’s chorus, which speaks of celebrating her birthday by herself. In the outstanding bridge, she contemplates whether things will ever get better even though people say they will, which I think I can say everyone thinks about. 

GUTS is a widely cathartic album to listen to, whether you are sobbing your brains out, cause your boyfriend cheated on you or you just need to scream cause life is simply not fair, whatever your mood is, GUTS is guaranteed to make you feel a thing or two.