“GUTS!” is Olivia Rodrigo’s smash hit second album that’s taken the music world by storm, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 200 in September. It has recently gone Diamond, meaning it has sold over 10 million copies. The album has also gotten Rodrigo six more Grammy nominations. As someone who loved Rodrigo’s first album “SOUR” and has been a fan since her first single, “Driver’s License,” I love this new album. Below I’ve given my opinion on each of the 12 tracks on “GUTS!’
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all american […..]
“All american […..]” is the lead-off track to “GUTS!” and makes a great first impression by listing off a series of similes. Rodrigo describes her experience as a celebrity at such a young age and the public perception of her. Throughout the song, she uses metaphors from classic American staples, such as the Kennedys and Coca-Cola bottles, playing into the song’s title. Finally, she screams into the microphone and then returns right back to singing calmly, showing the fickle nature of the public eye.
2. bad idea right?
“bad idea right?” tells the story of Rodrigo continuing to see her ex. She knows that all her friends disapprove of this person, but she really doesn’t care. This is one of my favorite songs on the album because of its alternative sound. I love how she mentions the urge to do something you’re not supposed to by saying, “I know I should stop, but I can’t.” I can clearly see the reason why Rodrigo chose this song as a single. The music video adds so much to the experience of the song by showing all the hurdles she jumps through to see this person.
3. vampire
The first single off the album, “Vampire,” opens with a sad piano tune. While it starts out as an emotional power ballad, it soon transitions into an angry rant about an ex. Rodrigo mentions how she feels discarded, which may be relatable to the audience. During her performance of this song at the VMAs, she faked a stage malfunction, just like her music video. “Vampire” is also nominated for two Grammys: Best Solo Performance and Song of the Year.
4. lacy
In this song, Rodrigo describes another girl with obvious envy. Each lyric is riddled with jealousy, but also written with the most heartbreaking prose. She describes a girl she wants to be like but never can be. This is not my favorite song, but I do love the lyric “dazzling starlet, Bardot reincarnate.” I think that this is a gorgeous use of a rhyme scheme. There are a lot of theories about who Lacy is: one of Rodrigo’s childhood friends, Sabrina Carpenter, or, in my personal opinion, Gracie Abrams.
5. ballad of a homeschooled girl
The first rock-esque song on the album, “ballad of a homeschooled girl” reflects Rodrigo’s childhood growing up as an actress on the Disney Channel. As such, she was homeschooled for the majority of her life. Rodrigo says that in preparation for “GUTS!” she took a few college classes on poetry, but other than that she has never been to in-person school. The song is extremely catchy, and while Rodrigo was homeschooled, she managed to perfectly reflect the emotions of the high school experience.
6. making the bed
This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and I love how emotionally vulnerable it is. It reflects Rodrigo’s own self-doubt set to a gentle piano. She sings about how she “got the things I wanted, it’s just not what I imagined,” which furthers her self-doubt and gives power to her feelings of inadequacy. She clearly fears of her own reputation and living up to it. These are feelings we all face, but just might not be brave enough to mention. Rodrigo claims that the only thing that can help is to run away. This song is an amalgamation of worst-case scenarios and insecurities that make it easily relatable.
7. logical
This is my favorite song on the album. On my first listen I wasn’t the biggest fan, but it just got stuck in my head and I had to keep listening. She talks about how love is never logical and how you can’t force someone to love you. I love the bridge where she screams at a boy, “Cause loving you is loving every argument you held over my head, brought up the girls you could have instead.” She almost yells this and then the song gets really quiet and ends. This song contains a beautifully painful melody that’s amplified by her heartfelt lyrics, making it one of the most emotionally charged songs on the album.
8. get him back!
I love “get him back!” because it has a spoken cadence that mirrors “bad idea right?.” The song title has a double meaning–she wants to get him back as in get revenge, but also get him back as in date again. I love Rodrigo’s use of juxtaposition, such as her wanting to break his heart but also be the one to fix it, wanting to key his car then make him lunch, or kiss him and then punch him, proving why it is one of the best songs on the album.
9. love is embarrassing
In this song, Rodrigo tells the story of how she ties herself in knots for love. She says that she was so blind and didn’t see any of the signs that her boyfriend was hung up on another girl. Reflecting on her past mistakes, she reminds herself of all the times she ignored red flags and forgave people who didn’t deserve it. This isn’t one of my favorite songs, but I do understand why people love this one.
10. the grudge
I love “the grudge.” Rodrigo tells the story of how she loved a boy but he never loved her back. The lyrics talk about a person she loves so much that she let them keep hurting her. My favorite part of the song, and arguably the most emotional part, is when Rodrigo sings, “hurt people hurt people, but, man, we both drew blood but those cuts were never equal.” The bridge sounds very reminiscent of “driver’s license,” which was her smash hit debut single. I can’t listen to this song without crying, and lots of people can definitely relate to it.
11. pretty isn’t pretty
“pretty isn’t pretty” reflects the self-image issues every girl faces. Rodrigo talks about how she feels not pretty enough, especially as a woman in the public eye and her own insecurities and body image issues, such as how she can try on all the makeup out there but will never live up to her own standards. Rodrigo mentions how even if she tries to ignore it, she can’t stop herself from feeling insecure. She says she would change herself, but she would never be happy with it. I think that this is such a great message to spread to little girls everywhere.
12. teenage dream
This is such a fitting track to end Rodrigo’s sophomore album. She speaks on the double standard in the music industry because of her age and level of success. I love how she talks about never being able to top her current fame and public perception with the lyric, “will I spend all the rest of my years wishing I could go back?” Maybe this is referencing a relationship where she was never good enough for her partner, but maybe it’s about how she will never be able to live up to her own standards. Either way, it ties a metaphorical bow on Rodrigo’s newest album, giving it the most fitting end.
Rodrigo will go on a “GUTS!” tour this summe. Nominated for six Grammys, this album proves that her talent matures with her. There is a phenomenal range on this album, some songs are heart-breakingly sad yet others are absolute bops. This is such a great album and Rodrigo really has raised the bar.
