After two years since the drop of her debut album, “SOUR”, Olivia Rodrigo has made her return to the world of music. As a child star on Disney television shows, such as “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical; The Musical; The Series”, Rodrigo is not new to fame. In 2021, after the release of “SOUR”, Rodrigo quickly rose in popularity and earned various awards, including three Grammys for new artist, pop solo performance and pop vocal album. This pop album was most popular among teenage girls, many of whom related to Rodrigo’s lyrics about heartbreak and growing up. On Sept. 8, Rodrigo dropped her sophomore album “GUTS” which consisted of 12 songs that experimented with different instruments and alternative styles. Mirroring the success of “SOUR”, “GUTS” has managed to receive mostly positive feedback from fans.
“GUTS” makes it clear that Rodrigo has grown since her first album, and she lets it all out. Though still aligning with pop, many of the songs are similar to an alternative or indie genre. She has abandoned the soft and sweet heartbreak songs of “SOUR” and has moved to harsher and fast-paced songs in “GUTS”. Throughout “SOUR” Rodrigo speaks of other girls that her ex-boyfriend has become infatuated with, displaying her jealousy that he chose them over coming back to her. However, in “GUTS” Rodrigo has distanced herself from her ex-boyfriend, even saying she would only get him back to get revenge. The song “Get Him Back!” goes through Rodrigo’s feelings as she realizes that deep down she wants him to return, but she should focus on herself instead. This album displays Rodrigo’s shift in focus from men to her self-worth and growing up.
In this album, instead of being jealous with girls for being with her exes, she is now jealous with their experience of girlhood. As a well-known singer and actor, Rodrigo is consistently in the public eye. In “Pretty Isn’t Pretty”, she explains that she is never pretty enough and must always be making an effort to improve her looks. Rodrigo compares herself to other girls, and likely receives hate from various social media platforms or websites due to her celebrity status. Another dream for some young girls is living their teenage years, where they romanticize high school and fantasize about having freedom. Rodrigo’s rise to fame during her teenage years, however, has impacted her experience. In the song “Brutal” from her “SOUR” album, she asks where her teenage dream is and explains that she is tired of hearing “enjoy your youth”. In the song “Teenage Dream” from the “GUTS” album, she now explains that she is being told that everything will improve as she ages. This switch comes as Rodrigo has moved past 17 and into adulthood, her opportunity for experiencing the teenage dream disappearing. This album encapsulates the hopeless and overwhelming feeling of growing up and knowing that becoming an adult is inevitable. This feeling is one relatable to the majority of teenage girls, who have dreamt of being at this point in their life since a young age. They, similar to Rodrigo, have experienced their share of heartbreak, self-deprecation and growth.
The transition from “SOUR” to “GUTS” was a long-awaited one that exceeded many people’s expectations. The variation between songs from quiet to loud or gentle lyrics to harsh truths provides an element of unexpectedness, another realistic factor of life. Whether crying to “Making the Bed” or yelling “Bad Idea Right?” teenage girls around the world can listen to “GUTS” and relate to Rodrigo’s carefully crafted lyrics.
