On September 8, 2023 Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album entitled “GUTS”, this album is following her first album released in May of 2021, Sour. Both albums quickly took social media by storm, and accumulated millions of streams. Millions of TikTok videos using the songs spiked the popularity of many.
Off of GUTS, the most streamed song is “Vampire”. This is a song that depicts the emotional turmoil Olivia experienced in her last relationship. This album is relatable to its target audience, teenage girls. Even though the most successful songs off the album are about breakups and boys, that is not what the focus of the entire album is about. Other songs such as “Pretty isn’t Pretty”, and “Making the Bed” both touch on other heavy, and relatable subjects for teenage girls today.
Anna’s Review:
My personal favorite song off of GUTS is “Making the Bed.” It is my favorite song because I feel as though I can relate to it best out of the songs on this album, and possibly out of her entire discography. This song is a play on words to the saying “You’ve made your bed, now lay in it”. The lyrics range from all equally impactful and reflective feelings stemming from the anger and uncertainty of finally achieving all of your goals, but also still feeling like something is missing. Another one of my favorites off of the album is “Pretty isn’t Pretty”. This song captures exactly how it feels to be a teenage girl living with the unattainable beauty standards that social media has made so prevalent. This song is about trying absolutely everything; buying makeup, new clothes, even changing your body, and still feeling as though you will never be pretty enough. I feel like this song is relatable to almost every girl at some point in their life. The feeling of never truly seeing yourself as pretty or beautiful is something that shouldn’t be wished upon anyone, yet is a feeling so many girls know all too well.
Morgan’s Review:
The song “The Grudge” is another song in the album that was written about one of Olivia’s past relationships. The song describes the grief that comes with an unhealthy relationship and breakup. Olivia uses powerful lyricism to describe how it feels to try to move on from her past relationship but feeling stuck and unforgiving. The song encapsulates how she has tried to forgive and forget, but the emotional damage from this relationship makes it impossible and she still finds herself upset and attached to the person who put her through all of this distress. Some lines that are particularly heart-wrenching include “Now I hear your voice every time that I think I’m not enough” and “It takes strength to forgive but I don’t feel strong”. Both of these lyrics are prime examples of the mental toll the relationship put on her and I think they are extremely powerful and perfect for revoking strong emotions. However, one song I am not a huge fan of is “Bad Idea Right?,” which is an upbeat song about wanting to get back together with your ex, but knowing it’s not a smart idea. While I think the song is catchy and could definitely be relatable to some listeners, I think it’s kind of boring. The song is less singing and more talking which I don’t enjoy since Rodrigo has such a beautiful voice and I prefer when she showcases it. Still, It’s a fun song and it is one of the most popular on the album.
GUTS topped the album charts in 14 countries within its first week of debuting, and 12 of its songs took their place in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Whether you enjoy her music or not, her success is undeniable. At just the age of 20, she has won over 20 awards from Grammys, MTV awards, Kids choice awards and American Music awards. We strongly encourage if you have not given the album a listen to consider doing so, you won’t regret it!
