If you’ve been on the internet, you have probably already heard by now that rising popstar, Olivia Rodrigo finally released her second album entitled, ‘GUTS’. Her debut album, SOUR, broke the global Spotify record for the most opening week streams by any female artists and captivated millions of fans (including me) who have been anxiously awaiting the release of new music. Having been released for over a week now, I have had my fair share of time to truly listen to this album, and there certainly have been some favorites that immediately stood out to me. Below I ranked and reviewed all twelve songs off of GUTS starting from my least favorite based completely on my own personal opinion.
12. Logical- Being at the bottom is no fun, but this song just did not really stand out to me. The heartbreak in Olivia’s voice is loud and clear accompanied with incredibly real lyrics, however this one did not stick out as something I love. There are a handful of slow, piano, ballads on this album that started to blend together to me and of those, logical was my least favorite.
11. The grudge- This song had a similar feel to Logical in sound as well as in theme. I appreciate the self reflection that occurs in both songs, but the message in The grudge of wanting to be the bigger person but facing the reality of how difficult that truly is, spoke to me strongly. Overall they are similar songs, but I liked the lyrics and sound of The grudge just a little bit more.
10. Making the bed- Self sabotaging is real and it sucks and Olivia captured that perfectly in this song. Again in sound this one did not particularly stand out to me as a favorite, but if I need a song to cry to I will definitely be coming back to this among others on this album.
9. Teenage Dream- If you’re sensing a pattern, I am not a big fan of the slow songs on the album, alone they are all great songs, but because of their similar tone none of them stood out as my favorites off of the album. Teenage dream was my favorite of the bunch, the lyrics really resonated with me. The fear of growing up and the glow and appeal of youth wearing out is something I think most women can relate to. Even better the bridge goes crazy, its haunting and melodramatic tone is suiting to the lyrics and pleasing to the ear.
8. Pretty isn’t pretty- This song is still slow but the chorus is incredibly catchy, I like this song. I will be listening to it, but it’s not on repeat for me.
7. Love is embarrassing- I really enjoyed this song. It’s playful, fun, and just makes you want to jump around and dance alone in your room. To me the verses feel Lorde- esque paired with the catchiest beat that will get stuck in your head and have you singing it all day.
6. Get him back- This song marks the songs I would listen to on repeat. It’s catchy, it’s sassy, and like much of the album it’s pop punk in my favorite way. This song feels like being angsty just for the fun of it and I love it.
5. Vampire- This song feels grand and is the ultimate expose on the worst people who completely drain every ounce of energy. It’s a beautifully composed combination of melodic heartbreak and catchy bits of outrage. Overall the lyrics are strong and impactful and Olivia’s talent is truly put on display here.
4. Ballad of a homeschool girl- Her almost scream singing, lyrics about social awkwardness, paired with a catchy bass all come together to form another pop-punk bop that captures female teen angst immaculately, everytime I hear this song I just want to scream along.
3. bad idea right? – This song gets me hyped. In contrast to ‘making the bed’ which focuses on the downsides of self sabotaging behavior, ‘bad idea right?’ Is that glimmer of excitement and joy (but also craziness) that self sabotaging brings while we ignore the fact that the heartbreak will hit later.
2. Lacy – Surprise! A slow song made it into the top two. This song had a different sound to the other slow songs on the album. The theme of an envious admirer turned stalker, paired with echoey and harmonic vocals creates a haunting yet beautiful song that is top two quality for me.
1.all american bitch- This is the one. As soon as the album was released I had this song on repeat. Its statement on the incredibly unrealistic expectations we enforce onto women creates a meaningful yet sarcastic song that’s heartbreakingly real, but, most of all, incredibly fun to listen to. The contrast between the gentle parts and screaming back to back carry the theme of the song perfectly while also having an incredibly catchy effect. I love the satirical tone, its message is important, and the song was put together beautifully.