By Kendal Furman (Assistant EIC)
Having loved Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album SOUR a little bit too much during my high school years, I was (perhaps overly) optimistic about her new album GUTS. Hoping that it would make me feel as seen as SOUR did, I couldn’t wait to play the whole thing through and relish in her beautiful storytelling and spunky beats. However, after indulging in the album (and admittedly enjoying it), I couldn’t help but feel that it was just a continuation of her first album; a “SOUR 2.0,” if you will.
Perhaps I felt this way because GUTS didn’t strike me as any more mature than her first album. Growing up alongside Olivia, I had hoped that GUTS would showcase a new side to her, reflecting what she’d learned over the past few years on her journey to stardom. Instead, it felt as if her album hadn’t outgrown SOUR’s angsty teenage spirit at all. GUTS highlights that, even though her original listeners have continued to mature, her target audience has stayed stuck in the same age group.
Or, perhaps, I felt let down because her carefully curated image has remained virtually the same since SOUR’s debut. And no, I’m not just talking about the use of her signature purple. If I’m being honest, GUTS’ album cover strikes me as nearly identical to that of SOUR’s, almost like they had been taken during the same photo shoot. On top of that, Olivia and her team haven’t put any effort into signifying that this is a new era for her, almost purposefully meshing this album in with her first. For an album that’s supposedly “so much about growing up,” I felt disappointed to see her sound, image, style, and main themes remain so consistent and predictable.
While I know that there have been rumors about Olivia transitioning from purple to red to signify her coming-of-age, I was hoping that this rebranding would have played a bigger role in GUTS and her marketing for the GUTS world tour. However, in all fairness, Olivia might be making us wait for OR3 before she exposes a new persona and ditches her OG purple look.
Regardless of these gripes, I would be remiss if I didn’t admit that this album still kicks ass. It has a wonderful mix of funky, fun-loving songs to jam out to and sweet, melodic pieces that really pull on your heartstrings. So, in good LIVIES fashion, here’s a (completely biased) list of GUTS songs ranked from best to worst. And no, this is not open for debate.
- love is embarrassing
I love this one! I feel like this song doesn’t receive enough credit or attention, but it never fails to put a smile on my face. The beat is super catchy, the lyrics are relatable, and the bridge is so fun and creative! I think this song also does a great job of encapsulating the messy, confident, and gutsy vibe of the entire album (no pun intended).
- lacy
“Lacy” is one of those songs that hits you hard because it takes a complicated and painful situation and beautifully puts it into words. I think jealousy and insecurity are things that nearly all girls struggle with and oftentimes feel really guilty about, so this song is almost comforting in that sense. Not to mention, “lacy” highlights Olivia’s talent for lyricism and exposes her delicate side which can oftentimes be overlooked.
- bad idea right?
This song is so fun because it’s soooo relatable. We’ve all been in (or at least had a friend in) this exact situation before. Someone who knows that they’re making a bad decision, but who just can’t help but get pulled back in, almost like they relish the chaos. It speaks to the messiness of teenage girlhood and the internal struggle of deciding to do the smart thing versus the exciting thing.
- vampire
Even though “vampire,” with the help of Instagram and TikTok, has been a bit too overplayed (in my opinion), I still think that this song is one of the only ones on the album that really shows off Olivia’s incredible vocal strength and range. “Vampire” showcases an incredibly sultry tone that is beautifully built up throughout the song.
- get him back!
In my opinion, “get him back!” is all about the bridge. The majority of the song is funky and has a good beat, but is superficial and very predictable for Olivia. However, the spotlight shines during the song’s bridge when Olivia builds an intense narrative of her conflicting feelings about a boy who wronged her (again, a feeling that’s all too relatable for many girls). I think this section of the song is really playful and makes “get him back!” less one-dimensional than it first appears.
- logical
This song is honestly a bit boring, but it’s very on-brand for Olivia. The lyrics are reminiscent of several other Olivia-style ballads, however, I must admit that it is very beautiful. The bridge perfectly encapsulates her pain and comes across very organically as she imparts her emotions onto listeners. I also feel that, after “vampire,” “logical” is one of the more vocally challenging songs on the album, which I always appreciate.
- teenage dream
I really enjoy the intro of this song; Olivia’s soft voice is accompanied by a gentle piano melody. It’s a really vulnerable number which I love and, overall, I think that it’s honestly gorgeous. While I don’t think it’s the most remarkable song on the album, I never skip it when it comes on, which is definitely worth noting.
- all-american bitch
I like this song strictly because the message strikes at the hearts of nearly all girls growing up in today’s age. It speaks to the blatant hypocrisy and unrealistic expectations that girls are forced to endure and adhere to in order to fit in. With Olivia spending some of her most formative years in the limelight, this rings even more true for her. No matter what, girls can never seem to get it right, and I really appreciate that this song emphasizes how frustrating this can be to deal with.
- making the bed
Similar to “all-american bitch,” I like “making the bed” because of its message. To me, this song is about that moment when you realize that your life isn’t anything like how you want it to be. It describes the realization that you’ve been following trends to the point where you’ve abandoned your values and lost your identity. It’s an especially bittersweet realization because there’s no one to blame it on but yourself. Overall, it’s a really pertinent topic, however, I think the delivery of the song was a bit boring and lacked nuance.
- pretty isn’t pretty
Speaking yet again to the impossible expectations thrust upon young women, “pretty isn’t pretty” is another relatable tune that puts into words something that is vulnerable, yet unifying amongst girls. While I find that the song itself sounds pretty bland and is lacking any build-up, these critiques don’t necessarily make it a bad song. It’s just not the most interesting one on the album. However, kudos to Olivia for tackling such an important and complex topic in her second album.
- the grudge
Also blending into the amalgamation of Olivia’s many ballads, “the grudge” strikes me as easily forgettable. While it’s undeniably a gorgeous song, it’s so similar to “logical” that I have a hard time separating the two. Besides this, I don’t have any real complaints about the sound of the song. I just wish it had a little something extra to make it stand out.
- ballad of a homeschooled girl
Lastly, while I love the beat of this song and its title, to me it seems like an uncanny blend of “brutal,” “bad idea right?,” and “jealousy, jealousy.” I honestly find it unoriginal in both its lyrics and its cadence. This song really solidifies my earlier point about GUTS just being a continuation of SOUR, and it’s a bit of a let down.
Given that there are only 12 songs on GUTS, it’s not a great look that both “the grudge” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” strike me as so similar to other songs on the album and on SOUR. In anticipation of Olivia’s next album, I’ll be holding out hope for a new dimension to her songs and overall image. Until then, you can catch me jamming out to “love is embarrassing.”
