Macayla Cook
As I write this very review, it has been precisely four days since Olivia Rodrigo, the world’s latest iconic pop girly, released GUTS to the world. Suffice it to say, it was a step in the right direction for her (at least, from my perspective).
I think I may have been one of the only people on this planet who didn’t obsess over SOUR. I liked most of the singles, but I found it to be a largely repetitive album full of the same sad song in a bunch of different keys. Yet, due to significant peer pressure and my own dedication to supporting fellow teenage girls, I decided to give GUTS a listen. After all, even if it was another sad album, I cry sometimes. Why not update my sad playlist a little?
What I found instead was so much more than I anticipated.
Now, is GUTS a perfect album? No, but is it a step in the right direction for Rodrigo? One thousand percent, yes. As I said before, my main criticism of SOUR was that it all sounded so similar. This latest album took that criticism to heart and made absolutely sure it did not happen again. GUTS is an eclectic, emotional, egregiously catchy sophomore album that perfectly encapsulates the angst of being 19 and having no idea where life is going to take you (a struggle that I clearly cannot relate to at all, cough cough).
Say what you will about Olivia Rodrigo, but she knows how to open an album. “brutal” was a standout on SOUR, with its pop-punk leanings and artfully torn production. Out of all of the genres Rodrigo allows to influence her music, I definitely like her pop-punk tracks the most, and “all-american bitch” delivers on that same grit. Another thing that Rodrigo has always done right is the specific relatability of her lyrics, and the parallels between “brutal” and “all-american bitch” are yet again apparent here. I remember laughing out loud when I heard a 17-year-old Rodrigo gripe “I can’t even parallel park” on her debut album’s opener, and this opener inspired the same reaction but with a darker undertone to it. I ended up laughing at the lines, “I’m grateful all the time/I’m sexy and I’m kind/I’m pretty when I cry.” For one reason, it comes in a pure, harmonized cadence that almost invokes church music right after the bridge, which is full of screaming. Peak comedy from Rodrigo there. However, I also laughed because this song so perfectly paints the picture of a girl becoming a woman. It’s darkly funny, but also deeply painful, and much of this album delivers on that same bittersweet feeling.
The album keeps up its energy on the second track and second single of the album, “bad idea right?” which is just an absolute blast. It’s so clear while listening to GUTS that Rodrigo is having a ton of fun with these songs, and that’s one of the many positive consequences of her breaking out of her ballad-heavy shell post-SOUR. There are still ballads on this album, but I would argue that they hit harder because there are fewer of them. Songs like “making the bed” and “the grudge” would not be stand-outs on SOUR because they would be one of many, but the variety of GUTS lets these songs have the moments they deserve.
Don’t get me wrong, this album will absolutely rip your heart out if you let it. The first time I listened to the album’s closer, “teenage dream,” I audibly gasped at some of the lyrics. As a 19-year-old girl, I no longer know how to act normal after hearing “got your whole life ahead of you, you’re only nineteen/but I fear they already got all the best parts of me.” For me though, the part that truly broke my heart was the end, a cacophony of repetition as Rodrigo sings, “they all say that it gets better/it gets better the more you grow/yeah, they all say that it gets better/it gets better, but what if I don’t?” The simple terror of those lines really can ruin your life if you let them.
Overall, I think I can safely call myself a fan of Olivia Rodrigo now. My character development from a SOUR hater to a massive fan of GUTS has been exciting, and I am proud to say that I now consider myself to be one of the girls who gets it when it comes to Olivia Rodrigo. This album gets a 9 out of 10 from me- it’s not perfect, but it’s damn near close as far as I’m concerned, and the occasional cringey line or my personal dislike of ballads will not stop me from obsessing over it. I’ve got to support my fellow messy teenage girls, especially when they’re creating art that I find so personally relatable and impactful, and I highly recommend giving GUTS a listen.