Guts cover drawn by Alex R. ’24

To me, Olivia Rodrigo is singing along to her debut studio album, “SOUR”, in the car with my sister, a pair of Airpods split between us. In the uncertain mess that was COVID-19, Olivia became a musical constant for me. But that’s not to say the album was without its flaws. Many of the songs sounded similar, at times I was unable to distinguish between them, and it’s not a hot take to say that “Driver’s License” is overplayed. That’s why when Olivia announced her sophomore album “GUTS,” I was ecstatic to see how she’d grown as an artist and I’d grown as a consumer. While the “GUTS” ring set on her website may be a tad overpriced, the album itself quickly solidified as another classic to me.

A month post-release, my ranking of the dozen new hits would have to be as follows:

#1 ballad of a homeschooled girl

Probably my favorite song of Olivia’s yet, it leans into an even more authentic version of what I love about her. Her “angsty” songs in SOUR felt basic – like anyone could’ve really written them. Yet here, there is much more ingenuity and personality. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what about this song appeals to me – the themes of social awkwardness and not knowing how to interact with people are some of the most relatable she has written. The melody is incredibly catchy and a joy to sing along to. There’s nothing I dislike about it; it is the “perfect” song on this record. If you’re going to give one song on this album a listen, this is it. Not only because of how much I love it but also because it feels the most representative of the album as a whole.

#2 all-american b*tch

Friday, September 8th, my first day of senior year: as my $10 Dollar Tree headphones transmitted the first few notes to “all-american b*tch”, I knew I was in for a treat. “all-american b*tch” is Olivia’s “welcome back” song. The guitar-plucked intro breathes a unique freshness into her arsenal, but don’t let the soft, almost angelic vocals fool you. A “one, two” on the drums changes the song into a pop-punk ballad, the kind of song that made me fall for Rodrigo’s music in the first place. The contrast between this “sweet” façade and the harsher inner nature makes this song stand out to me – an amazing hook to lure you into the album. 

#3 lacy

On first listen, “lacy” is where the album began to fall a little flat for me. I listened to Olivia for her energetic music, and “lacy” felt too slow, ruining the tension built up at the end of “vampire.” But as I talked to my friends who love this song, it began to grow on me – genuinely. It’s soft, but it carries itself differently from her previous slow songs. The background harp and her whispery vocals combine to create an image of two vintage American Girl Dolls in my mind, wearing old-timey laced-up aprons and checker-patterned dresses. “lacy” and “all-american b*tch” really stand out to me as appealing to a sense of “Americana” despite their varying explicitness. While I used to zone out in the lull period it occupies, it has recently become just as important to me as the other songs on the album.

#4 bad idea, right?

The song “bad idea, right?” is one of two singles dropped prior to GUTS’s release. It doesn’t carry as central of a “melody” to it, but it does have an incredibly fun energy. As I’m biking to school with my headphones in, each time the line “I know I should stop- but I can’t” plays, I physically stop pedaling and stick my feet out. And on most days, if I make good timing, I park my bike in the garage at 7:54 AM, right as the song tapers off.

#5 get him back

This one is a definite crowd-pleaser. The first non-single to get a music video and the most streamed and well-known post-GUTS release day, and I totally get it. Olivia definitely isn’t a queen of rap (by the way, I will definitely be doing a review of Pink Friday 2), but the song has a funky flow to it. It’s another fun song where Olivia takes herself a lot less seriously and exudes a fresh energy that she hadn’t yet captured in any of her previous music. The song title’s double meaning is genius and carries the chorus while perfectly encapsulating its feeling. Speaking of which, the chorus is genuinely so catchy and iconic that I’m not even mad that my favorite song isn’t the fan favorite. It’s simply another banger and a very clever song.

#6 teenage dream

As the closing song on the album, “teenage dream” fits perfectly at the end of GUTS. Paired with “pretty isn’t pretty,” it is a gut punch that hits especially hard as I’m currently finishing high school. It tackles the common fears of peaking as a late-teen and general unsureness leaving the second decade of your life, still carrying that trademark Olivia Rodrigo angst but with more than just a twinge of concession. Compared with its namesake Katy Perry song, “teenage dream” completely flips the script on the teenage experience. It ends the album on a somber note that leaves a much bigger impression on me than any individual song, especially the more I listen through GUTS (which you best believe has been at least 20 times by now.) The best part is hands down the haunting almost one minute of vocals repeating “they all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow.”

#7 love is embarrassing

I was scared this was just going to be another slow song, but it feels like a toned-down version of her pop-punk songs – a happy medium between her two concepts. Maybe what I like about “love is embarrassing” is Olivia’s focus on her own actions in the lyrics, much like in “ballad of a homeschooled girl.” Many of her other songs focus on a partner’s shortcomings, but here, it is more introspective. She is complaining about the things she does to herself – a relatable idea of realizing your own share of blame to burden.

#8 pretty isn’t pretty

This is a song that definitely appeals to Olivia’s “target” audience. The somber yet lively guitar perfectly complements her ranting about conforming to beauty standards and really lets the listener feel her angry yet mournful emotions, even as someone who has never felt that same pressure myself. It’s a captivating tune tackling a subject that Rodrigo hadn’t yet addressed directly, making it stand out not only among the songs of the album but also in her entire catalog as well.

#9 vampire

With “vampire” as the lead single, I can’t help but feel that it presented a false vision of what GUTS would be. It functions well as a bridge between Rodrigo’s work on SOUR and her newer style here, but it feels jarring, wedged in between “bad idea right?” and “lacy.” However, aside from how it flows in the album, the song is great. The buildup as the electric guitar swells in the second verse leading through the refrain is my favorite part. 

#10 the grudge

It’s a shame that this is probably my most-forgotten song on the album because, while lower on my ranking, I do really like it. While it is another slow song, it still exudes Rodrigo’s personality where “making the bed” faltered. The emotional buildup is subtle over the first two minutes and twenty-five seconds. By the time you realize the music is swelling, you can only shout “You built me up to watch me fall… Your flower’s filled with vitriol” before the tension dissipates. “Subtle” is a good word to describe this song. It’s overlooked but nonetheless, an important dampening anthem before the album concludes.

#11 logical

This song is another one I didn’t care for too much. Granted, it hasn’t grown on me as much as “lacy”, but I can appreciate it a lot more now. My prior distaste was by association with “making the bed,” and while it’s not a remarkable song, it has a niche calming feel to it that I don’t get otherwise in GUTS. I have found myself specifically going back to this song to listen to it a few times.

#12 making the bed

My least favorite song from GUTS, it’s objectively fine but goes against that core tenet I described in gushing over “ballad of a homeschooled girl”- it doesn’t feel like Olivia Rodrigo. It’s a slow song with nothing that stands out to me, and especially coming directly after one of my all-time favorite songs on the tracklist, it leaves a weird taste in my mouth that I don’t hate but feel guilty about. I’m sure it has its fans, but I think it’s mediocre. If it’s your favorite, then you should go back to SOUR.

Overall, Olivia Rodrigo crafted a very well-rounded album, demonstrably learning from her errs on SOUR. Critical reception for GUTS hasn’t been nearly as explosive as it was for her debut album, lacking the popularity and anticipation that was impressive for such a new artist. I like it more than SOUR on every level aside from the nostalgia factor. Sadly, I think the nostalgia factor is the main one in many people’s take on an artist like Olivia. It may not be a hidden gem, but GUTS is an underappreciated album, worth a listen from anyone who cared enough to read through my review of it! 

GUTS is now available for streaming on all major music platforms.