I began listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s second album, GUTS, with somewhat low expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, I adored her first album, but I was unsure of what to expect and didn’t know if she could surpass the success of the first. I was surprisingly proven wrong, and this album could easily live up to its predecessor. I was left satisfied and awed at Rodrigo’s musical masterpiece.
The first track on the album, “all american b*tch” is a very unique song, with its dramatically varying speed that adds a layer of depth to the song. The song starts off slow, and contained, while the chorus brings the grunge style into the song. The lyrics describe her being content with herself and that she is who she is.
“bad idea right?” and “vampire” come next, which were both released as singles before the album’s release. “bad idea right?” carries over the grunge-rock style from the first track while “vampire” brings a new technique of a strongly sung ballad. Both have received great success already and are trending on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. They were definitely perfect choices to be released early, and both have fascinating vocals and musicality.
The next track ,“lacy,” is the type of song that will turn into an ‘it girl’ song. It describes a girl who is envied, yet hasn’t exactly done anything wrong. Rodrigo has so much emotion in the song and you can hear the longing sound in her voice which makes you equally as jealous of ‘Lacy’.
Ironically, “ballad of a homeschooled girl” is anything but a ballad. It returns to a grunge rock style, reminding me of ’90s-type music. It encompasses a style of singing that makes it sound similar to talking in a poem over singing. It gives the song an unusual twist that adds a surprisingly breathtaking factor.
Awed is the only word to describe “making the bed,” the sixth track of the album. My jaw dropped to the floor by the end. It is beautiful in so many ways, from her voice in the song to the lyrics. It talks about being the one blamed and left to clean up everything after a difficult situation, and I could hear the hurt in her voice sending the message that makes me tear up.
“Logical” continues the style of “making the bed,” and can easily compete for the place of my favorite song on the album. Rodrigo tells the story of being hurt by someone who used to be close to her, in this sense a past lover, and not being able to make sense of why such a thing would happen. The theme can be related in the sense of friends, relationships, and many others. The acoustics are priceless and make me want to press repeat just to honor the pure talent. “logical” has definitely earned a spot on many of my playlists because it is such an irresistible song.
The aura of the album dramatically switches again with “get him back!” and “love is embarrassing.” Rodrigo brings in new approaches to musicality with these two songs. “get him back!” Gives off a style that could almost be compared to pop rap. “love is embarrassing” has a very energetic beat, and gives off a positive vibe. “love is embarrassing” also has an abrupt ending that gives a unique quality to the song.
“the grudge” is another beautiful ballad by Rodrigo. It is easily comparable to “drivers license” from her first album, and it has the same piano beat hidden in the background. Her singing is gentle, but you can still hear the raw emotion in her voice. It perfectly showcases Rodrigo’s vocal talents.
The eleventh track, “pretty isn’t pretty,” is a middle ground for her previous techniques. The song is relatable which makes it more emotional and enjoyable simultaneously. The lyrics were written fantastically, and just reading through them makes me emotional.
“teenage dream” is the final song of the album and it was a perfect resolution to it. The build of the song is breathtaking, slowly coming to a glorious climax. The lyrics are also deep and meaningful, explaining that she isn’t enough for anything. I felt touched by it and could find a piece of myself in the lyrics. All I could think about was how perfect this song would be in concert, the musical backgrounds are so strong, along with the other factors would just make the performance undoubtedly astonishing. At the very end of the song, you can hear some slight noises that make out sounds of childhood, with the song of child laughter. This touch is a final flourish of the song and it leaves you satisfied not only with the song, but the entire album.
I felt refreshed after hearing the entire album because I had been blessed with such a phenomenal album. My expectations were blown away by the lyrics, vocals, and acoustics. I believe that it will be respected just as much as the first album. After GUTS, I will definitely be attempting to get tickets to her newly announced tour beginning in late February.
