From heart-wrenching, emotional ballads to edgier tracks with punk qualities, Olivia Rodrigo’s new album “Guts” takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Rodrigo has proven she can write hits, breaking numerous records and topping multiple charts with her previous work, and “Guts” is no exception. All 12 tracks rapidly gained a spot in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and the lead single “Vampire” became her third Number 1 of her career. True to the title, Olivia Rodrigo was not afraid to spill her “Guts” on this album, the lyrics all unabashedly vulnerable and real.
Similar to her previous album “Sour”, Rodrigo’s second album is an unapologetic story of struggles with growing up, anxiety, self-esteem, and heartbreak. “Pretty isn’t Pretty” deeply explores the physical expectations women are faced with and songs such as “Vampire” and “Logical” describe the mental toll that being in a toxic relationship takes. While some tracks stand out more than others, the album as a whole is very cohesive and does an excellent job of demonstrating Rodrigo’s abilities as a singer and songwriter.
Rodrigo’s talent for including her life experiences in her lyrics truly makes her listeners feel seen and this is a skill that’s always drawn me to her music. Terra Linda High Senior Kelsey Dabbah spoke on how open Rodrigo is about her feelings in her music and how she’s further strengthened her abilities as an artist, “I feel like she’s definitely grown with her vocals and is able to create such relatable stuff for young adults and teenagers,” Dabbah said. She enjoyed the new direction Rodrigo took with this album and reflected that her first thought when hearing it was “Oh wow, this feels different!” As a whole, she thought the album was a 10 out of 10 and was entranced by the unique style Rodrigo has been developing.
The song that stood out the most to me was “Lacy”, a slower ballad in which she sings about her conflicting feelings of jealousy and deep admiration toward a girl who’s seemingly perfect. The soft vocals and production were a great contrast to the song’s more intense counterparts on the rest of the album and the lyrics were clever as well as poetic. Dabbah recalled her first time listening to the song and said, “When I first heard the song ‘Lacy’, I was like ‘this is beautiful.’” She also stated it was one of her favorites on the album, a view I certainly share.
When I listened to the album all the way through for the first time, I found that the songs that were slower and softer made the biggest impact in general. Although the more rock type of sound Rodrigo leaned into is interesting and shows her versatility, the ballads she sprinkles throughout the album are typically her strongest, as they focus on her vocals and songwriting.
“Guts” didn’t stand out as much to Terra Linda Junior Emma Onstott who decided that she preferred Rodrigo’s earlier works. In terms of rating it, she placed it at a solid 6 or 7/10, elaborating that it wasn’t her favorite, but there were still aspects of it that she enjoyed. While the music didn’t have as great of an impact on her, Onstott acknowledged Rodrigo’s ability to translate her experiences into writing by saying, “She did a very good job of expressing all of those feelings. Even if the music wasn’t my favorite, the lyrics and message were all there.”
With such anticipation and high expectations surrounding the release of her album, it’s true that Olivia Rodrigo had a lot of hype to live up to. Whether or not she succeeded is a question whose answer truly depends on the person listening. Either way, it stands clear that she has a wide range of audience members such as teenagers and young adults who find validation and comfort in the stories she tells through “Guts” and beyond.
