On September 8th Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album “GUTS”. As people who have been a fan of Olivia for a very long time, I was very excited to hear the album, and it did not disappoint. Her vocals on this album as a whole are so much stronger than in Sour. The album sounds like an early 2000s coming of age movie soundtrack, which I love. Even if you aren’t an Olivia fan I feel like it’s a no skip album, and very well written. There are even a lot of people who think Guts has a chance of Album of The Year at the Grammy’s. These are my thoughts on each song, and some insight into what I think the songs are about.
Track 1: all-american b***h-
Stella- I feel like this song is the perfect opening track. I loved the contrast between the slow and fast parts throughout the song. I also thought the sarcastic tone was a great way to start the album since that is a common theme throughout the whole thing. Olivia always does such a good job at making her music relatable for a lot of people, and I think this song does that perfectly especially for teenagers. We have so much pressure on us to be “perfect” but she is saying how am I supposed to be both, what you want me to be and perfect. The lyric, “I’m a perfect all-american b***h, with perfect all-american lips, and perfect all-american hips” is such a good lyric and gets her point across. This is a great comeback song, and I love the message. This song feels so her and it was a great way to open the album.
Alex- This song is such a catfish. First the title, it’s like okay, this will be one of her more grunge songs, and then you listen to the beginning, it’s slow but then kicks up into a rock song. This song is a really good opener. In this song, I feel like she’s setting rumors right. I’m not a huge fan of the song but she is just so relatable you might have assumptions about me but they aren’t true.
Track 2: bad idea right?-
Stella- This was the second song Olivia released from the album. This single came out a few weeks ago and I’ve had it on repeat since. There has been a lot of talk about this song for many reasons but I would say the opinions on it split. I have seen people who love it and people who don’t like it at all. I think this song is so good. I think it’s so funny and sarcastic in a perfect way. The song in this song is so good, and the production fits it so well. When this song came out I definitely felt like it gave off the same energy as Brutal from Sour. I think it was the perfect choice for a single. Now that I have heard the whole album this isn’t my favorite but I still love it and I think it is so good.
Alex-It gives off 90’s vibes like the opening of 10 Things I Hate About You when you first see Kat Stratford and Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts playing in the background. In this song, you can also hear and tell how much Olivia’s vocals have improved and I love it. The fact that she isn’t just singing in most of her songs in this album is proof of how much more confident she is with her vocals. The middle of this song has to be one of my favorite parts of the song besides the guitar solo in the bridge just because it’s so funny and like you are spilling something to your friends. I feel like not a lot of people like this song in the album but I like it a lot.
Track 3: vampire-
Stella- vampire was the first single of the album. She released this song on June 30th which was about a month before she released the album. This song was huge on the billboard charts, and was getting a lot of attention. I think she had a lot of pressure on her to make this album as successful as Sour. But I really feel like this album is more “her” than vampire. I don’t feel like she tried to top what she did on Sour, instead she just made what she wanted to. I love this song, I think it was the perfect lead single for this album. Even just hearing it the first time I could tell that it was different than anything she made before but I loved the new sound. The metaphor in this song is so good, and has amazing lyricism. I think what stands out the most in this song for me is the production. Her producer for all of her music is Dan Nigro. I love the way they collaborate because I feel like Dan perfectly captures Oliva’s sound. Because it is such a distinct sound it has to be done right, and she definitely does amazing. I love that this song has such a soft start but builds throughout. Such a great song to kick off the album.
Alex- The piano entrance, oh my gosh. Every time I listen to it I die it is so good. It feels so real. This song really gives the impression that you used to know me when I was immature and now I’ve grown up and I know now what you did to me was bad. The lyrics, “I’ve made some real big mistakes,” like she understands that she has done bad things but he made them look fine is a huge red flag.
Track 4: lacy-
Stella- This is my second favorite song on the album. This song is just perfection, and the lyricism is incredible. One of the main reasons why I love this song so much is because it sounds like the song Amelia by Gracie Abrams, who is one of my favorite artists and it’s one of my favorites songs. There have been a lot of ideas going around of who this song could be about and what it means. I don’t think we’ll ever actually know but it is a beautiful song no matter what. I think it could definitely be a song about jealousy or even a love song. The lyric, “and I despise my jealous eyes and how hard they fell for you,” is just such a perfect way to describe loving someone but feeling jealousy for them for a certain reason. There are so many amazing lyrics in this song it was hard to pick a standout one, but that lyric is just so relatable. This song was the biggest shock for me on the album because of how different it was from her previous work. I think it shocked a lot of people, but I hope she continues to make music like this because it was one of my favorites.
Alex- Lacy is one of my favorite songs of the Guts album. It’s like a love/hate song. I like that it is slow, like a love song but the lyrics don’t reflect that. Like the lyrics, “I see you everywhere, sweetest torture one could bear.” There are some lyrics that do give off that it is supposed to be a love song, but I feel like that is not what it is supposed to be about. One part I really love about this song is how soft her vocals are and how they sound.
Track 5: ballad of a homeschooled girl-
Stella- I was shocked by this song. It was not what I expected at all. I think most people associate the word ballad with a slower song, and that’s not what it was at all. I think the message and story of the song is perfect to describe how she feels. We can assume she was probably homeschooled because of her being an actress at a young age, so I think it was a really smart idea to incorporate that into the song. Also just people who are antisocial this is a perfect song for us too. The lyric, “Each time I step outside, its social suicide”. It perfectly makes you understand what she is feeling. I also love that she slows it down for the bridge and then it picks right back up. Overall this song is a perfect fit for the album and a very good song.
Alex- There isn’t much to say about this song I don’t really like it but if it came on I wouldn’t skip it. Again this song has a bunch of revenge-type songs and I feel like this is one of them.
Track 6: making the bed-
Stella- This is my favorite song on the album. It is just a perfect song. I love the metaphor of “making a bed” and it has some of her best lyrics yet. One of my favorite lyrics being “And I tell someone I love them just as a distraction. They tell me that they love me like I’m some tourist attraction”. Her vocals sound incredible in this song. Also just the build into the bridge is so good. This song also sounds a lot like a Gracie Abrams song which is a big reason why I love it so much. The chorus is my favorite Olivia chorus yet, it has such a beautiful movement throughout the whole chorus. This song feels a lot more mature than some of her slower songs on Sour. Which is a common theme on this album. You can really hear her growth in her voice but also her lyrics. The production is such a nice addition to this song. It doesn’t overpower her vocals but it adds a beautiful melody. This is definitely one of my favorite Olivia songs, and a standout from the album.
Alex- It is a very soft song. The lyrics, “another thing I ruined I used to do for fun,” are sad to me because I feel like there are a lot of things that I liked and they are now ruined because of something little. I like “making the bed” as a title and as a reference because in the song she talks about how she puts herself in her position and I think that a lot of people can relate to that or understand what she is saying.
Track 7: logical-
Stella- This is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. I think I usually tend to listen to her slower songs more even though I love her upbeat songs, I just love her slow songs. Her voice sounds amazing in this song. The song is so well written and the production is beautiful. The idea of love not being “logical” is portrayed so well with the lyrics. You completely understand what she is trying to say in this song.
Alex- Logical is basically enough for you of the Guts album. This is by far my favorite song from the album. This song gives off toxic love energy for someone who has gone through that kind of relationship this song is very relatable. The chorus, “And now you got me thinking two plus two equals five and I’m the love of your life ’cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine then changing you is possible, no, love is never logical,” is my favorite part of the song. This part of the song says I want to change you but can’t.
Track 8: get him back!-
Stella- This is such a fun song. It’s another song on the album that has a sarcastic tone to it. The bridge is my favorite part in the song, I like how it starts slow and continues to build. This isn’t my favorite song on the album, but it is still a good song. She performed this song at the VMA’s and it was a really good performance.
Alex- I love the revenge type of songs in this album. This song is just so fun to listen to in the car and sing at the top of your lungs. After my past relationship, I definitely felt like this. I want to get him back with all the things that he did to me but I also want him back. I don’t want him anymore let’s be clear.
Track 9: love is embarrassing-
Stella- I love this song. I feel like it sounds like a song you would hear in a early 2000s rom-com. It perfectly fits the vibe of the album. It wasn’t what I was expecting when I saw the track list, but once I heard it I loved it. I feel like this song is the next chapter to some of the songs in Sour. I think this song would be perfect for a music video, so I hope we get that.
Alex- Again with the ’90s vibe, I feel like a lot of her songs on this album give off this kind of sound. Sometimes after you get out of a relationship you realize the things that you did while in the relationship are embarrassing. The beginning awkward stage of the relationship is also never fun. The delusional intro to the song is so funny.
Track 10: the grudge-
Stella- This song is beautiful. The meaning of this song is so good. It definitely has some of her best vocals on the album. I’m really excited to hear her sing this live because I know she will sound amazing. Also the production is so perfect for the song. Like the build right before the bridge goes so well with her voice. This is definitely high up there on my favorites from this album.
Alex- I love this song!!! This song is one of my all-time favorites in this album. The fact that you have to forgive and forget is so hard because I went through all the things you did to me why should I forgive you? My favorite lyric of all time, “and I know in my heart hurt people hurt people, we both drew blood but man those cuts were never equal.” This part of the song hits so deep it’s like she read my mind.
Track 11: pretty isn’t pretty-
Stella- This song is probably one of my least favorites on the album, but I still really like it. I love the message in this song. One of the main things about this song that isn’t my favorite is the chorus. I love the lyrics in it but I’m not the biggest fan of the production. I feel like it doesn’t show off her voice as much as the other songs, but it is still a beautiful song.
Alex- This song is one of my least favorite but I do still like it. This song is really like i have done everything I can but nothing is really enough anymore. I feel like the lyrics, “you can win the battle but you will never win the war,” is like I will love myself eventually but I don’t really right now.
Track 12: teenage dream-
Stella- This was a great choice for the album closer. I feel like it perfectly wrapped up the message of the album. I also loved the parallel to brutal from Sour when she say “So where’s my f***ing teenage dream.” She always makes music for people who are close to her age, mainly teenagers. This is another one of those songs that is very relatable. Trying to be your age but people expect you to act older or even younger, you can never be you’re age without someone thinking it’s not good enough. She is finally coming to terms with adulthood and this song reflects it. This song also has one of my favorite bridges in this album. I love how her voice changes to a softer tone then it builds as she keeps repeating. Also the outro of this song was a perfect way to wrap up her second album.
Alex-I feel like every teenage girl feels like this at some point because I know I definitely have. The first time I listened to this song I was just in total shock. Listening to the lyrics and relating to them was like what in the world. Mind blown.
Overall I feel like this album is a no skip album. It has so many amazing songs, and I really feel like she grew so much from Sour to GUTS. Let us know your opinions on the album!
