Rating: ★★★★★
On September 8th 2023, Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album GUTS. Her debut album, SOUR, is a grammy winning stunner that broke charts never seen before with a Gen-Z artist. SOUR depicts teen angst and heartbreak. GUTS continues to dive into these themes, but on a messier level. The thesis of the album GUTS is that Olivia Rodrigo is spilling her unfiltered, diaristic thoughts, and questioning the trust of her instincts, specifically her gut. This album shows Rodrigo processing the tumultuous turn of her life with her instantaneous success following the release of her hit, “Driver’s License.” Her song resonates with young and old generations as it represents an imagery of teenage heartbreak that never really leaves you.
Along with this success, there came criticism and doubt from Rodrigo’s detractors who began to question her talent and writing credits. Those she began to draw inspiration from, such as Taylor Swift and Paramore, became credited on songs on SOUR once people heard similarities between her songs and those of the artists she took influence from. As her success grew, so did the criticism of her art. With this second album, Rodrigo had to dive deep into what differentiates her from other artists. She has continued to experiment sonically and lyrically, while also expanding her vocal range to create this well-produced piece of art that tells a full circle story. As a writer of all her songs, Rodrigo continues to use witty lyrics and idioms to convey her emotions. As an English major, I will always appreciate attention to the detail she applies to her lyrics.
Each song blends into the other with similar themes of angst, heartbreak, and confusion over one’s identity as they transition from their teenage years to adulthood. This especially applies to Rodrigo who had to mature instantly and adapt to her new level of fame after her successful debut album. Her sophomore album dives deeper into how relationships affect one’s identity development as an adolescent, and the raw lyrics reflect a relatability and vulnerability that contributes to the virality of her music. Olivia Rodrigo has gone in a new punk-rock direction, while also sticking to her roots of contemporary-pop ballads. This album has an equal blend of both upbeat rock anthems and slow-paced ballads to add to your playlists. As a fan of Rodrigo since her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series days, I am so happy to see her grow as an artist, while continuing to make me feel the same way I did when I was first introduced to her songwriting.
Below, you will find my ranking and thoughts of GUTS. It was really difficult to do this ranking because I love all these songs so much for different reasons. This is an album you have to experience for yourself, and I cannot wait to see Rodrigo perform these songs live. I believe GUTS is on the same level as SOUR, and it is a messy, yet perfect piece of art.
Ranking:
12) “bad idea right?”
Favorite lyric: “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”
This is such a fun song to jam to, especially with how it fits so well with Tik Toks; however, the beat and talking vocals cause it to be my least favorite, yet it still remains a unique song off this album.
11) “lacy”
Favorite lyric: “I feel your compliments likе bullets on skin / Dazzling starlet, Bardot reincarnatе / Well, aren’t you the greatest thing to ever exist?”
I love how Rodrigo is vague about the subject of the song. There are such beautiful lyrics as Rodrigo portrays her envy and admiration of the subject, which increases listeners’ curiosity about who the song is about. I love the idea of this song, and how Rodrigo is experimenting with her writing and lyrics; however, the song is slow and drags on, so it causes me to not listen to it as often.
10) “making the bed”
Favorite lyric: “I’m so tired of bein’ the girl that I am / Every good thing has turned into somethin’ I dread / And I’m playin’ the victim so well in my head / But it’s me who’s been makin’ the bed”
The concept of this song is brilliant, especially for young girls who make mistakes and choices that haunt them. Olivia Rodrigo is showing her superior writing skills by creating a whole song around the concept of the idiom, “you make your bed and lie in it.” Essentially, she is exploring how she is unhappy with what has come of her choices, but ultimately they were her decisions to make, and she has to live with the responsibility of that. This is something everyone deals with when something does not happen the way we expect or want it to. Rodrigo is also alluding to the costs that come with her level of fame, even though the success is what she always wanted. I love the concept, but the slow beat causes me to not play it often, similar to “lacy.” If it had a more mid-tempo beat, I think I would rank it higher.
9) “ballad of a homeschooled girl”
Favorite lyric: “Each day that I’m alive, it’s social suicide / It’s social suicide, wanna curl up and die”
When I first listened to this song, it was not what I expected. When you see the word “ballad” in the title of the song, you assume that it is going to be a slow song. However, this rock anthem displays the social struggles of Rodrigo who grew up homeschooled, and it displays how adolescent social interactions are strange and awkward. This song perfectly encapsulates this, and it’s a fun upbeat song. I only rank it this low because I cannot personally relate to it.
8) “vampire”
Favorite lyric: “How do you lie without flinching?/ (How do you lie? How do you lie? How do you lie?) / Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, fu**ed up little thrill”
The slow to fast build up of “vampire” makes it such an amazing song, and this was the perfect first single for GUTS. The unique writing and sound intrigues the listener and pulls them in right away. I have not been able to stop listening to it since it has been released. Rodrigo is portraying a relationship between an older man and herself, and it is a true “Dear John” moment, and a lesson the public needs to be reminded of.
7) “love is embarrassing”
Favorite lyric: “You found a new version of me / And I damn near startеd World War III”
This is such a fun and relatable song because love is embarrassing and always will be. Everyone has felt this way. There is a lyric about planning a wedding right after meeting someone, and this image truly portrays what so many people feel in the early stages of relationships. This song will be playing on repeat for the days to come.
6) “logical”
Favorite lyric: “I look so stupid thinkin’ / Two plus two equals five / And I’m the love of your life / ‘Cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine / Then changing you is possible”
My top 6 was so hard to rank because I love these following songs so much. The song, “logical,” is the “favorite crime” of this album. Rodrigo proves that she can write a beautiful, heartbreaking ballad so effortlessly. When I heard the emotion in the lyric, “two plus two equals five,” I almost cried for her because I could feel her pain. The beautiful piano, vocals, and lyrics blend to make a near-perfect ballad about the complications and bizarre nature of love.
5) “the grudge”
Favorite lyric: “The arguments that I’ve won against you in my head / In the shower, in the car and in the mirror before bed / Yeah, I’m so tough when I’m alone and I make you feel so guilty / And I fantasize about a time you’re a little fu**ing sorry”
This song is my next favorite ballad on this record. Rodrigo’s vocals are breathtaking with so much emotion and power. You can feel her pain over this failed relationship. Her vulnerability shines in this song as she discusses the great lengths she has gone to try to forgive this person, but inevitably, fails every time. It resembles how difficult it can be to get over a relationship, even when so much time has passed. This power ballad is the sister track to “traitor” on SOUR. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rodrigo chooses for this song to be the next single off the album based on people’s initial love for the song.
4) “all-american bitch”
Favorite lyric: “I am light as a feather, I’m as fresh as the air / Coca-Cola bottles that I only use to curl my hair / I got class and integrity / Just like a goddamn Kennedy”
This is the song I was most curious to hear on the album. This, like “brutal,” encapsulates the thesis of the album, and it is probably why this is the opening track. It starts out slow and then bursts into a pop rock anthem. Rodrigo explores the difficulties in being a young woman of this generation. She spews her frustrations and creates an entire screaming section of the song. I love the punk rob vibe where I can scream along with her. The switch up of the tempo parallels how women are expected to change their emotions and demeanors depending on the situation, or even hide their true emotions on a daily basis, so that we do not seem “overly emotional.” This Olivia Rodrigo track is a social critique and side to her we have never seen before, and I hope to see more of this in the future.
3) “pretty isn’t pretty”
Favorite lyric: (This entire verse is *chef’s kiss*)
“You can win the battle, but you’ll never win the war / You fix thе things you hated and you’d still feel so insecure / And I try to ignorе it, but it’s everythin’ I see / It’s on the poster on the wall, it’s in the shi**y magazines / It’s in my phone, it’s in my head, it’s in the boys I bring to bed / It’s all around, it’s all the time, I don’t know why I even try”
This song is the mature, grown up version of “jealousy, jealousy” from SOUR. Both tracks depict the unreachable beauty standards for women. Rodrigo discusses the changes she has made, and how it still will never be enough. The desperation and frustration in her voice is what all young girls and women feel. This is a much needed track for a society that is continuing to foster unrealistic beauty standards due to social media influencers. Again, Rodrigo’s vulnerability and relatability are what shines through to make this an amazing song.
2) “get him back”
Favorite lyric: “And when I told him how he hurt me, he’d tell me I was trippin’ / But I am my father’s daughter, so maybe I could fix him”
I am completely obsessed to an unhealthy degree with this song. It is so fun and unhinged, and I cannot wait to hear Rodrigo perform this live. Rodrigo, again, uses a play on words, showing both sides of the coin of “getting back” with a significant other. Rodrigo presents a conflict over wanting to get “sweet revenge” on her ex, while also wanting to get them back, as in to try again in a relationship. This is a playful, yet shocking, song that proves Rodrigo can blur the genres of pop, punk, and rock to create this anthem for young girls. The layered yelling screams during the bridge remind me of the musical Annie as the vocals create a childlike yelling aesthetic, possibly alluding to the immaturity of her significant other described in the song. I will also be playing this song on repeat.
1) “teenage dream”
Favorite lyric: “And when does wide-eyed affection and all good intentions start to not be enough? / When will everyone have every reason to call all my bluffs? / And when are all my excuses of learning my lessons gonna start to feel sad? / Will I spend all the rest of my years wishing I could go back?”
The first track that was ever written for GUTS is my favorite because it is the perfect bookend for this album, and for the conclusion of the SOUR and GUTS era. I believe Rodrigo carefully crafted the past two albums to be companion albums to reflect the turmoils, upheavals, and relationships of her teens into her early twenties. The phrase “teenage dream” is in the opening track, “brutal,” on SOUR as Rodrigo questions where her “teenage dream” is. After the success of her first album, she experienced the “dream” of Hollywood; however, it seems that the pressures and suffocation that comes with fame has caused Rodrigo to question what the idealistic “teenage dream” is, especially as she enters her twenties. She begins to question her choices, mortality, and whether or not the public will continue to receive her and her music. Taylor Swift’s “Nothing New” discusses the same conflicts with fame, and the mental effects on young women in the music industry. This consistent theme of adolescence can be seen through Rodrigo’s “brutal” to “teenage dream” pipeline. Rodrigo proves to be clever through how she carefully plans her art, and what she wants people to take away from it. These two albums are meant to symbolize the turmoil of adolescence, and it feels like the next album may shift away from these ideas as she goes into adulthood; however, she will continue to bring her clever, scathing songwriting and beautiful musicality to whatever art she creates next.