Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album “GUTS” on Sept. 8th, and it had a lot to live up to after “SOUR” shattered all kinds of music records.
Compared to her Grammy-winning debut, Rodrigo wanted “GUTS” to have more rock elements, and a majority of the songs give the same vibe as “brutal” and “jealousy, jealousy,” on her first album. With 12 tracks that total 39 minutes and 18 seconds long, it is similar in length to “SOUR” but is a completely different album sonically.
Hopes were high when she released the first single from the album, “vampire,” on June 30, and it was an immediate hit as it charted No.1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
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Her other single, “bad idea right?,” launched her to No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.
Rodrigo is two years older now, and “GUTS” displays this. Instead of an album about being 17 and 18, it’s an album about being 20, which might not seem like such a difference until you listen.
She starts off the album with “all-american b-tch,” an ode to girlhood. Rodrigo knows how to say, “I am her,” without directly saying it, and this song represents exactly that. Her two singles follow it.
The song “lacy” is a slower melody. Who is this Lacy she speaks of? I have no clue, honestly, but the song is heartbreaking. Lyrics such as, “I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you,” are enough to make a college girl cry.
The song “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” reflects Rodrigo’s view on social development and how living can just be awkward. She also points back to previous relationships and how a former partner may or may not have not been into her… or women in general.
One of my personal favorites is “making the bed.” While it is one of the sadder songs on the album, it’s hands down one of the most pleasing listens in my opinion. It has some of her best lyricism.
The next track, “logical,” is classic Rodrigo. It mirrors “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” from her debut album. This is not a bad thing. When listening to her music, you have to remember that if it’s making you upset, she is doing her job.
The song “get him back!” is an anthem for getting back at a guy for doing her wrong. At first, the listener thinks she wants him back in a relationship until she says things like, “Wanna kiss his face with an uppercut.”
Rodrigo continues the album with “love is embarrassing.” Here she rants about feeling embarrassed about constantly going back to the same guy when he consistently proves that he will choose his ex or another girl. She also mentions lowering her standards and her friends’ disapproval.
The track “the grudge” is heart-wrenching and another one of my favorites. Rodrigo doesn’t fail to make fans feel the same anguish she does during and after getting her heart broken. This is another one that wins a lyricism award in my books.
My favorite flow is in “pretty isn’t pretty.” The music she chose to match the lyrics fits perfectly. It also shows that even though she is older, she still faces the reality of being a young woman and the physical expectations that come with it.
She concludes the album with “teenage dream,” which was the best decision ever. This is where she actually says that she’s not the younger version of herself that released “SOUR.” It’s about thinking that life was so much better when she was just a teenage girl and how she fears the future.
Sophomore Nikhia Sims said that “GUTS” was not what she expected but in a good way. Her favorite song is “logical” because she “very deeply relates” to it and because the lyrics are so beautifully written. She was a super fan when “SOUR” came out and is excited that she has two albums by Rodrigo she can enjoy.
“They both have a lot of really good songs that I can either listen to at my volume in the car or cry my eyes out to,” she said.
This album has the potential to top the charts and reach the records that “SOUR” did a few years ago. Rodrigo is only older than me by a year, and I feel like that is important to fans of our age range. We get to relate to and grow up with her as she releases these songs. Many like to call her the next Taylor Swift, but she is making her own name and defining herself as a singular artist.
