As a fan of Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album “SOUR,” I had high expectations for “GUTS.” Rodrigo released her sophomore album Sept. 8 and since then, I’ve had it on repeat. 

This album reprises the themes of love, revenge, jealousy and insecurity she addressed in her first album. However, she approaches them in a new way and introduces other themes such as womanhood and growing up. 

Rodrigo teased the sound of the album with two singles released prior to the rest of the album. She brings back her classic piano power ballad with “vampire” and her uptempo pop sound with “bad idea right?” 

With 12 tracks on the album, it’s hard to pick a favorite, so I narrowed it down to my top three. 

Third Place: “pretty isn’t pretty” 

This song dives into themes of insecurity and comparison with a backdrop of ‘80s alternative guitar, reminiscent of “In Between Days” by The Cure. This song showcases Rodrigo’s vocal range with low notes in the verses and high notes in the chorus. 

The message is simple, but I think it’s done well. My favorite lyric is, “I could change up my body and change up my face/ I could try every lipstick in every shade/ But I’d always feel the same/ ‘Cause pretty isn’t pretty enough anyway.” 

Second Place: “ballad of a homeschooled girl” 

Despite not being homeschooled, I find this song to be deeply relatable. The whole track depicts the inner monologue of a socially anxious narrator. She sings, “I stumbled over all my words/ I made it weird, I made it worse/ Each time I step outside/ It’s social suicide.” 

One of the reasons this song is one of my favorites comes down to the production. The bridge copies the lyrics of the chorus, but slower and softer, only to pick right back up again. 

The song makes social anxiety danceable. My favorite lyric is, “I’m on the outside of the greatest inside joke.”

First Place: “making the bed” 

Out of all the tracks, I keep going back to listen to this one. The title plays with the idiom, “you made your bed, now lie in it,” depicting the singer’s discontentment with parts of her life she created for herself. 

This song sounds like a Gracie Abrams song, who is one of my favorite artists. It has the breathy voice and devastating lyrics Abrams is known for. 

My favorite lyric is, “I’m so tired of being the girl that I am/ Every good thing has turned into something I dread/ And I’m playing the victim so well in my head/ But it’s me who’s been making the bed.” 

I’ll be honest: based on the first two singles, I thought I wouldn’t like “GUTS” as much as I liked “SOUR.” I wasn’t blown away by them the way I was when I heard the lead singles for
“SOUR,” “driver’s license,” “deja vu” and “good 4 u.” 

But after hearing the album in its entirety, I find “GUTS” to be the superior album. It shows musical growth from Rodrigo and hits all the right notes of angsty and heartbreaking that her fans love. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment