Olivia Rodrigo nailed it with her debut album, Sour, so expectations were raised high for the next move. But the suspense is over and she is back with her second album, GUTS. 

Sour was a classic for many of us teenagers, with her hits “driver license” and “good 4 you.” Sour was very soft, slow, with a little rock involved, but GUTS is more fast, loud, and rock. She’s so witty, so pissed off, yet so angsty at the same time – the way only a rock star can be. 

GUTS, is a 12 track pop/rock/indie rock album. There are similar aspects of the past album, with a lot of fans, teenagers specifically, resonating with the lyrics of a heartbreak with a significant other or a long relationship with a friend. The new album has songs that made you want to scream out loud and some that made you wander off in the stars. These are my top six tracks.

all-american bitch 

This was a great way to start the album. This song makes you want to scream so loud, even if you don’t relate to it. Rodrigo wrote this song based on an essay she did back during school, about hippies in San Francisco and running away from home. “It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” she toldZane Lowe on his Apple Music show. “I think it expresses something that I’ve been trying to express since I was 15 years old, this repressed anger and feeling of confusion or trying to be put into a box as a girl.” In the song she says,“Forgive, and I forget, I know my age, and I act like it. Got what you can’t resist, I’m a perfect all-American.” It is a perfect beat and pump to listen to as you are dancing around, with a fast beat similar to “brutal.”

vampire 

This was the first single from GUTS.  A lot of mixed feelings went around the internet; some liking it and others not so much. This song is more about someone being manipulative and sucking you dry, using you for all your worth and then just dumping you on the side.“I’ve made some real big mistakes, But you make the worst one look fine.” The way each lyric fits each other makes the song a lot better to enjoy and just sing to your heart’s desire. Despite what people might have thought, it is a great listen if you are/aren’t heartbroken. 

lacy 

A break from the loud music, “lacy” is a slow song and further develops throughout the song. If you like “jealousy, jealousy” from Sour, you will enjoy this song. After a few listens it went straight to my top 3. In this song Rodrigo is comparing herself to other women and being jealous, but praising them besides the jealousy she has for them. “Lacy, oh Lacy, skin like puff pastry/Aren’t you the sweetest thing on this side of Hell?” The song generated some buzz as people wondered if it was about Gracie Abrams, or Madison Beer, both American singer-songwriters. In a Variety interview, Rodrigo stated, “I don’t really subscribe to hating other women because of boys. I think that’s so stupid, and I really resent that narrative that was being tossed around.”. Despite the rumors that quickly spread, “lacy” is an amazing song and you shouldn’t just compare it to these other singers and just enjoy the slow beat it gives. 

making the bed

Halfway through the album, “making the bed”, is a song about reflecting back on the past and the struggles that one would go through. This song sort of reflected how she rose quickly in the social media and she didn’t really know what to do since she felt unprepared. In an interview on Interview Magazine, Rodrigo reflected on her fame that quickly grew overnight.  As she sings, there’s this line that signifies the fame she quickly got. “I’m so tired of bein’ the girl that I am, Every good thing has turned into somethin’ I dread.” After a few listens this song will quickly become one of your absolute favorites, it starts off slow; but once the chorus hits, it gives you this feeling of just singing it out loud. 

logical

A personal favorite of mine, since I have listened to it over 50 times. When first listening to the album this was the first one that I fully enjoyed. In this song Olivia is singing about a relationship that has gone wrong and ignoring all of the warning signs.  “And I’m the love of your life, ‘Cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine.” As with most albums made by women, people speculated that she was talking about her ex, Zack Bia. Since there was a part mentioning, “too young.” Rodrigo and Zack had a seven-year age difference, which concerned many fans due to his past actions with a well known singer, Madison Beer. Throughout the song you get the feeling that you are listening to a second version of “enough for you,” due to the slow beat and the way that sings the song. 

get him back! 

As the title of the song suggests,  this song is referring to getting an ex back. However, Rodrigo takes a different approach with a double meaning as she goes back and forth between wanting revenge on an ex and wanting him back in her life. “I wanna get him back, I wanna make him really jealous, wanna make him feel bad, Oh, I wanna get him back, ‘Cause then again, I really miss him, and it makes me real sad, Oh, I want sweet revenge, and I want him again.” When speaking on Apple Music 1 (radio station) she talked about how she struggled with writing it, but was very happy with the result and so am I. It is such a good song, especially when being with friends. The music video adds an extra layer because you can see a variety of Olivias, which represent the different versions of wanting to get back at her ex or just getting back together with him. This made the song a lot better, seeing the symbolism. 

GUTS is a 9/10. This was a solid album, with some songs being similar to her previous album. To the new songs that have their own spark to them. I am excited to see what she has planned for the future, especially her upcoming tour which will start February 23, 2024 and go to August 14, 2024.