Olivia Rodrigo is currently performing around the world on her Guts tour. On March 19, during the first show of her Chicago stop, Rodrigo unveiled a sign with the words “Guts Deluxe Out Friday.” Rodrigo’s album Guts has amassed monumental success with over 100,000 streams recorded in the first week that it was released. Considering the support for the original album, it is no surprise that the deluxe version has also received substantial praise. While all five of the freshly released songs are exceptional, here are my top three favorite tracks.
“Obsessed”
Fans enthusiastically anticipated this song because Rodrigo had been performing it on tour before it was released. Rodrigo also released a music video to accompany “Obsessed. The video depicts a ball where all the attendees wear sashes that indicate different relationships that they had with Rodrigo’s inferred ex. Rodrigo presents the women with different trophies that correspond to various lyrics in the song such as “speaks kindly about me.” I love that throughout the video, the images deviate from the pageant-esque setting to visuals of Rodrigo and a band performing which creates variety in the surroundings.
“Stranger”
While I was eagerly awaiting the release of “Obsessed” and “So American,” “Stranger” has quickly become one of my favorite songs on the deluxe album. In “Stranger,” Rodrigo sings about reclaiming her strength after going through heartbreak with lyrics such as, “I can’t even remember what made me lose all my sleep / I cried a million rivers for you, but that’s over now.” The lyric, “Yeah, I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete,” is a thoughtful reminder that relationships should not undermine your identity.
“So American”
Rodrigo’s music usually touches upon themes of both growth and hurt after heartbreak, but “So American” is a song about falling in love and the all-encompassing effect that having a crush can entail. The lyrics of the song such as, “Drivin’ on the right-side road” indicate that the song is likely about Rodrigo’s relationship with British actor Louis Partridge. The song culminates with someone presumably in the studio teasing Rodrigo in a lighthearted manner that brings a cheerful moment of relatability and authenticity to the song.
I would recommend giving Guts (Spilled), the deluxe version of Rodrigo’s second album, a listen. The deluxe tracks offer variety in their tempos with some songs being more in line with ballads and others having a quicker pace with a pop-rock flair. The different types of sounds and songs create an album that I believe has the potential to offer music for a range of moods.