Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album, “GUTS,” on Friday, Sept. 8. Rodrigo’s debut album, “SOUR,” gained popularity instantly, making the release of a new album heavily anticipated amongst fans. The 12 track album completely captures the experience that can only be defined as “girlhood.” Through punchy pop rock songs to power ballads, Rodrigo details what it’s like growing up, going through messy breakups and finding your place in life. From screaming to crying, Rodrigo created a tracklist that takes us through the emotional rollercoaster of girlhood.
“all american b**ch” summarizes the experience of being a teenage girl in the 21st century. By switching between acoustic verses and punk choruses, Rodrigo captures the challenges of living up to society’s standards of being a perfect teenager and contrasts it with our inner feelings. She goes from acting perfect to screaming and letting go of her inside emotions. This song sets up the rest of the album through both music style and theme.
I have found that the perfect song to belt in the car with your friends is track two, “bad idea right?”. The leading single details Rodrigo going against her better judgment in a relationship, then saying “[whatever] it’s fine.” She managed to capture every thought that goes on inside my head when talking to a guy. “bad idea right?” itself is a combination of guitar riffs, heavy bass and voice effects, that together create a song that makes you want to jump around and scream in the best way!
Track six, “making the bed,” is a power ballad that shares how the decisions we make while growing up determine where we are today. According to dictionary.com, the phrase “you’ve made your bed” means that the choices you make may have consequences and you’ll have to live with those consequences. Despite Rodrigo writing this song based on growing up with fame, the message is relatable to all audiences. The emotion in Rodrigo’s voice with the combination of the guitar and drums is what causes this song to be so heart-wrenching. She truly spills her “GUTS” through this song which is what makes this piece stand out.
Closing the album, Rodrigo finishes what she started with her debut album. In “brutal,” the opening track of “SOUR,” Rodrigo wonders “Where’s [her] f***ing teenage dream.” Rodrigo realizes that she’s the person who has to create her own “teenage dream,” and that’s exactly what she tells us with this song. In the ballad she explains that there is no such thing as a perfect growing up experience. When 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?” it strikes a chord with the listener. All anyone wants is a sense of guidance, but in the real world you have to make your own path. This song is a full circle moment in Rodrigo’s music career, showing an immense amount of maturity.
This album obviously took a lot of “GUTS” to write. Rodrigo spills her heart with songs full of honesty, angst and heart. For only being her second album, Rodrigo showcased her talent through powerful songs, ingenious lyrics and large range. From pop-punk to power ballad, each song has a different emotional angle, and there’s a song for every person. I loved listening to this album and hearing the growth from “SOUR.” Ever since this album was released it has been playing on repeat in my house and I cannot wait to see what she releases next! I recommend “GUTS” to anyone who thinks “love is embarrassing,” is holding a “grudge,” or just wants to “get him back!”. With this album you can scream, you can cry, but most importantly, you can dance!
