By Candice Tran
Heavy drums and guitar shreds resonated as Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, “GUTS” was released on Thursday, Sept. 8, detailing the changes and struggles she faced as the curtains fell upon her teenage years. This is her second album working with producer Dan Nigro, the first being her album “SOUR.”
Rodrigo is most praised for being a lyrical genius. Fans enjoy the relatable and dramatic teenage experience—a recurring theme in her music. Her songs contain intricate words woven into a story, then mixed with tunes to create a masterpiece.
The album is comprised of 12 songs—a total of 39 minutes and 18 seconds. Her songs, “vampire” and “bad idea right?” released prior to the debut of “GUTS.” “vampire” came out on June 30, and has garnered over 300 million streams, while “bad idea right?” which just released on Aug. 11 has almost 80 million. No one can predict just how much attention Rodrigo’s new album will receive.
“all-american b***h”
The first song on the tracklist, “all-american b***h,” is pop-rock and reminds me of early 2000s, angsty teenage music. Though the song is loud for the most part, the outro is sung in an angelic voice with Rodrigo reminding herself that she’s perfect the way she is, despite unrealistic expectations of her. The song is catchy, and I find myself repeating the chorus every so often.
“bad idea right?”
Another song with evident teenage emotions, “bad idea right?” is about how she refuses to listen to her friends and their logic while making her way to see her ex-boyfriend. After listening to the song several times, the catchy beat and simple lyrics have been ingrained into my head.
“vampire”
As the lead single of “GUTS” that has taken the internet by storm the past couple of months, “vampire” probably has the most memorable and pleasing chorus to sing.
“lacy”
The fourth track of the album is sung in Rodrigo’s head voice. The themes of “jealousy, jealousy,” insecurity and inferiority resurface in “lacy” as she sings almost eerily. The song isn’t too exciting, but it is moving for sure.
“ballad of a homeschooled girl”
Social anxiety and the inability to fit in is described with strong feelings in “ballad of a homeschooled girl.” As someone who was homeschooled, Rodrigo finds it hard to socialize. She screams her lyrics with frustration with the smashing of the cymbals in the background. I don’t find the song too memorable compared to the others, but I would still listen to it if it showed up on my playlist.
“making the bed”
For the sixth single, “making the bed” was the hardest song for Rodrigo to write because it dug deep into her feelings towards her quick rise in fame after her last album. This song is definitely in my top three of “GUTS” because I really feel the uneasy emotions she’s trying to convey through the lyrics. The song concludes with her soft, almost inaudible voice along with piano chords.
“logical”
The seventh track that outlines the blindness to reason and blinded by love, “logical” is a moving piece defined by Rodrigo’s raspy, breaking vocals and the sole playing of the piano.
“get him back!”
This is, by a landslide, my favorite track in “GUTS” because of the upbeat and catchy chorus that is echoed by multiple voices. While the verses of “get him back!” are mostly Rodrigo almost speaking her lyrics, her chorus displays the teenage angst once again with her wanting her ex-boyfriend back.
“love is embarrassing”
All the memories come rushing back, as “love is embarrassing” reminds fans of the awkwardness of relationships and all the feelings that came with these experiences.
“the grudge”
The slow build-up of the repetitive piano notes allude to “driver’s license,” a previous song from “SOUR,” which I’m really fond of. “love is embarrassing” is about conflicting feelings toward a past lover.
“pretty isn’t pretty”
In “pretty isn’t pretty,” Rodrigo switches between her head voice and the lower register of her chest voice. The song reflects how in society, the standards for beauty are ever changing and that it’s difficult to keep up because you might never be good enough. This song has definitely made its way into my top five.
“teenage dream”
Rodrigo definitely hasn’t lived the same lives as the rest of us, but she just wants her “teenage dream.” The song feels emotional when she says she’ll sing “happy birthday” to herself because it’s like the final goodbye to her days as a teenager.
When I listened to “GUTS” for the first time just a minute after its release, I thought all the songs were very similar. Each song had either drums, guitar, piano or all three. It was difficult to tell the songs apart—either it came from an angry teenager, or a sad one. But after listening to the album again, I know now that the songs are all different. They all share a different story, excerpt, from Rodrigo’s life and that truly makes it a masterpiece.
You can stream “GUTS” on all music platforms; immerse yourself in the world of punk pop-rock teenage melodies and lyrical gems.
