An overview

Olivia Rodrigo skyrocketed to superstardom amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The multi-talented phenomenon made a quick and seamless transition from acting to atop the music industry. At 17 years old she released her breakout single ‘driver’s license’. Over the next few months, Rodrigo steadily proved her status was beyond a one-hit wonder. First, it was ‘Deja Vu’- a dreamy tune with strong songwriting and an even stronger vocal performance. Then it was ‘good 4 u’- a pop punk scream-along anthem that had Y2K written all over it. Since the string of singles were released in 2021, each one has surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams. On May 21st the singer’s debut album, Sour, was released to extreme acclaim. Her first studio project earned her three Grammy Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four iHeartRadio Music Awards, two People’s Choice Awards, an American Music Award, a Brit Award, and a Juno Award. For 2 years the singer was quiet before eventually storming back onto the scene with another hit single. ‘vampire’ debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and set the stage for Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts. The album has been out for less than a month, but already it is being admired as an album of the year candidate. It may seem early, but the people who are praising her newest release have a strong case for doing so. Not only does GUTS see Rodrigo improve in most facets from her Grammy-winning debut, but it also boasts one of the most sonically cohesive tracklists of the past decade. Though it does not offer anything groundbreaking or revolutionary, the album expands on a sound she has solidified as her own. Below are my personal track-by-track review and playlist statuses of the chart-topping album, GUTS.

Review

1. all american b—-    9.0

The opening track perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the album, it is a pop-rock tune that draws comparisons to something Avril Lavigne might release in the early 2000s. The verses are light and breezy, but the chorus is quite the opposite. There are hard drums, a heavy rock guitar, and a near-screaming voice. The lyrics are simple yet amazing, pointing out the unrealistic and unfair standards set for women in society; ‘all american b—-’ is a great tune to scream along to and is one of the stronger songs on the album. 

Playlist status: Screaming in the car

2. bad idea right?    8.5

This track is laced with an upbeat yet gritty-sounding guitar and frequently the verses sound closer to rapping than singing. The best part of this song, without a doubt, is the chorus. Rodrigo uses her signature vocal layering once again creating a catchy tune without even saying a word other than ‘ahh’. Although hectic at times, this song is a strong follow-up to ‘vampire’ and it fits like a glove amidst the rest of the tracklist. 

Playlist status: Sing along at a party or on the radio

3. vampire    9.3

‘vampire’ was Rodrigo’s return to the spotlight and it immediately became a global chart-topper. It has a strong display of her vocal talent – and much like her other hit songs – there is an underlying sense of revenge within the lyrics. This very well could be one of the best songs released this entire year, unfortunately, the radio will likely ruin its replay value. Nevertheless, this song will stick around for a while and is a wonderfully catchy tune. 

Playlist status: Sad playlists, party playlists, car playlists, put it everywhere

4. lacy    7.5

The fourth track on GUTS is not terrible, but for Olivia Rodrigo, it is nothing impressive. The lyrics on this track are by no means ‘bad’ but they are at points where they feel cringey and cliched. For example, to start the song Rodrigo softly sings ‘Lacy oh Lacy skin like puff pastry, aren’t you the sweetest thing on this side of hell…” It is something that felt so familiar and although it does not sound bad, it just hits me as uncreative. This song is slow, but not in an enticing way. I see the appeal as I do with every song Rodrigo has ever released. She has beautiful vocals, as expected, and gets a great story/message across. Despite all that, for me, this song is the weakest on Guts. 

Playlist status: Sleeping playlist or a late-night playlist

5. ballad of a homeschooled girl    9.5

This is a head-banger, scream-along, teenage angst anthem. Rodrigo repeats a lyric that, for me, screams Y2K punk-pop. Arguably the most catchy part of the song is when she sings, “Each time I step outside, it’s social suicide.” It is a perfect line to fit along the instrumental on this Avril Lavigne-y track.  In classic Olivia Rodrigo fashion, the verses are poetic and soft but the chorus is angsty and loud. On ‘ballad of a homeschooled girl’ everything comes together flawlessly and creates one of the most memorable songs on GUTS. 

Playlist status: This belongs on every type of playlist, except a relaxation one

6. making the bed    10

I love you, Olivia Rodrigo. Thank you for blessing your fans with another beautiful ballad that makes us feel all the emotions. This song is perfect, in EVERY single facet. 

Playlist status: EVERYWHERE

7. logical    8.9

This song sounds similar to something fellow artist, Conan Gray, would make. The use of a quiet piano is blanketed perfectly by catchy (almost angst) songwriting. The chorus, unlike most of the songs on this album, does not include a huge change in voice for Rodrigo. Instead, it uses the same bitter voice as in the verses. The bridge is when she changes her vocal tone, becoming louder and sounding almost regretful. It is worth mentioning in the chorus as well as the bridge, the piano instrumental escalates fittingly to the lyrics and vocal tone. This song is an awesome one. 

Playlist status: Sad playlist or breakup playlist

8. get him back    8.2

This one feels like ‘bad idea right?’ part two, but not quite as compelling. It has the ‘talking’ type of songwriting in the choruses that I earlier had compared to rap. The chorus, much like ‘Bad Idea Right’, is super catchy. The lyrics at points in this song could seem a bit cliche or cringe, comparable to a Disney channel song. We must not forget, though, Rodrigo kick-started her career on Disney Channel.​ This song is essential for variety on the album, but as a standalone track, it is something I might only listen to at a crowded party or on the radio.

Playlist status: Background music at a party/club

9. love is embarrassing    8.4

My opinion on this song might be the most controversial because it has quickly become one of the fan-favorite tunes. It is not that I do not see the appeal of ‘love is embarrassing’ because I truly do. I caught myself humming along to the ultra-catchy chorus a few times. It honestly might be my favorite chorus on this entire album, it has a great pop-punky feel. The verses, on the other hand, are rather unimpressive. They are not by any means ‘bad’ because nothing in this album is ‘bad’. However, the verses are cliched and don’t pop out as anything super special. Nevertheless, just for the outstanding chorus and a great instrumental this song is still a solid tune. 

Playlist status: Big party playlist or scream-along 

10. the grudge    9.1

This might be the best display of Olivia Rodrigo’s storytelling to date. In her debut album, she flaunted an uber-impressive talent within her songwriting. Through 10 tracks on GUTS, it seemed as if she was flexing her other musical skills and not honing in as much on her storytelling. ‘the grudge’ is a wonderful reminder of the versatile talent Rodrigo truly is. This song belongs on any singalong car playlist. 

Playlist status: Car playlist or sad playlist 

11. pretty isn’t pretty    8.3

To me this song is an improved version of Sour’s,’ jealousy, jealousy’, but it doesn’t offer much new content. Nevertheless, it has a strong chorus and some of the strongest verses throughout the album. The message of unrealistic beauty standards is strong and important but has already been mentioned before by the artist in a very similar fashion. This song is great, but not amazing. It still deserves praise, though. 

Playlist status: Background music at a party or on a long car playlist

12. teenage dream    8.7

The outro to Rodrigo’s second album was a fitting farewell. It is elegant, well-written, and cohesive. It is one of the stronger songs on Guts and might be the best representation of what Guts is all about. ‘Teenage dream’ is raw, honest and – once again – has soft verses followed by a more aggressive chorus. The song uses a slowly-escalating, soft instrumental to build up tension before finally releasing everything in a loud and awesome finish. 

Playlist status: Sad playlist or late-night playlist