SINGER-SONGWRITER Olivia Rodrigo has recently unveiled her second album, titled Guts, and it is currently at the top of the Billboard charts.
Dropped globally on Sept 8 by Interscope Geffen Records, the album represents another achievement for the young artiste. With its blockbuster opening and rapid ascent, it is propelling her straight into the realm of an instant pop star.
Since her debut album, Sour, dominated the charts in 2021, this pop sensation has shown consistent growth within the music industry. Starting with fame as a former Disney star, notably for her role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, she shifted her focus to songwriting after the remarkable success of her breakout hit, Driver’s License.
The song, released in January 2021, rapidly gained viral status on TikTok, throwing Rodrigo into stardom like other Disney stars, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.
While her debut album, Sour, unfolds a story of heartbreak resembling a personal diary, exploring teenage angst and the battle with a sense of identity, this latest album, Guts, elevates the intensity. It delves even deeper into raw, rebellious feelings, or perhaps even blends both elements for a powerful combination.
Aside from that, the 20-year-old singer also quickly rose to prominence as one of the loudest voices of Gen Z, particularly with her breakup-themed ballads that strongly resonated with other listeners of her age. The trend was not only maintained but further emphasised throughout Guts.
On the first track of the pop-rock genre album, Rodrigo plunges directly into the essence of the album with the lead track, All-American B*tch, a song that combines humour and cynicism in equal measure to critique the portrayal of the stereotypical American woman. She excellently shifts the song’s tempo from a steady groove during the verses to a burst of upbeat pop-rock during the chorus.
Interestingly, All-American B*tch draws a parallel with the lead track of the Sour Album, Brutal. Both songs convey frustrations within a pop-rock framework, and their outros undergo an abrupt shift to a melancholic tune, expressing feelings of resentment and helplessness. Just like its counterpart in Sour, All-American B*tch serves as the opening track and offers a comprehensive glimpse into the themes of Guts as a whole.
Next up, Bad Idea Right? is the second track from Guts that Rodrigo unveiled as a single in August 2023. The song recounts an irresistible night spent with an ex, captured through a fast-paced, lighthearted, and somewhat chaotic melody. In Bad Idea Right?, Rodrigo vividly portrays her internal struggle, echoing the theme of inexperience and the confusion that often accompanies early adulthood.
Continuing, we arrive at Vampire, a personal favourite and the lead single from Guts, which made its debut in June. This song stands out significantly and is often likened to the Driver’s License of the Guts album. Vampire boasts impactful lyrics such as “Went for me and not her/Cuz girls your age know better.” Both songs delve into the theme of heartbreak, but while Driver’s License is delivered with a mournful tone, Vampire intensifies with growing anger as the song unfolds.
After the initial three tracks, Guts alternates between slow and fast-paced songs. Rodrigo explores themes of jealousy, lost friendships, and fame struggles in Lacy, The Grudge, and Making the Bed. Meanwhile, the Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl sheds light on the challenges of homeschooling in one’s social life, expressing Rodrigo’s difficulty fitting in and relating to others.
Then in Logical, Rodrigo delves into the idea that love can blind people, causing them to accept even the most irrational beliefs. Instances like “Two plus two equals five” and “The sky is green, the grass is red” serve as examples, illustrating this notion. The song unfolds a narrative of gaslighting within a relationship.
The line “You built a giant castle/With walls so high” in Logical mirrors a line in Vampire: “How’s the castle built off people/You pretend to care about?” This connection raises speculation among the audience, prompting them to consider if Rodrigo is referring to the same individual in both songs.
The relatability extends beyond just the lyrics. Guts is rich with pop-punk elements reminiscent of the early 2000s, evoking a sense of teenage nostalgia. The track Get Him Back! carries a distinctive rock Avril Lavigne-esque sound, featuring distorted power chords backed by a steady, driving drumbeat.
Guts concludes with the gentle-paced track Teenage Dream, reminiscent of the tranquil conclusion in Hope Ur Ok from Sour. The notion of a teenage dream is first introduced in Brutal, where Rodrigo raises questions about its absence.
In Teenage Dream, she wrestles with the acceptance of adulthood and shares remorse for not aligning with the teenage dream that others had envisioned for her “And I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream”.
While Guts takes inspiration from Sour, it unfolds a unique narrative of personal growth and the challenges of transitioning into adulthood. In this album, Rodrigo liberates herself from the constraints of her small-screen existence and wholeheartedly embraces the path of her real-life journey with a strong resolve. There are no longer red lights or stop signs impeding her way forward.
