A vibrating electric guitar transmitting from earbud to earbud, a grungy microphone effect reminiscent of 2000s pop-punk, and heavenly vocals that chill fans are all components that give Olivia Rodrigo her unique sound. The rising young pop star’s sophomore album GUTS delivered the continuation of SOUR that everyone craved for—with a little more in store this time around.
Following the moving lead single “Vampire” and catchy “Bad Idea Right?,” the 12 track album loaded into streaming platforms Friday, September 8th, already striking a commotion in the music industry and in her fans’, better known as “Livies,” hearts. Satisfying fans and critics alike wasn’t going to be a cakewalk for GUTS when the standard was set for it to live up to, if not exceed SOUR. Miraculously, as people await her “one hit wonder,” or in her case “one album wonder,” phase in the spotlight to come to an end, and for her curtain to fall, Rodrigo continues to relish in her pattern of success.
In the visual aspect of the project, some feel disappointed in the cover artwork, as it doesn’t represent a transitional exit from SOUR, leaving people to question if this lack of change foreshadowed a lack of change in her musical style. The album ultimately shut down critical comments without Rodrigo having to respond directly, as she drifted out of her comfort zone of pop. This time around, she steered more into punk and rock, which SOUR dipped into with tracks “jealousy, jealousy” and “brutal.” On GUTS, meanwhile, “Get Him Back!”, “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl”, and “Love is Embarrassing” have prominent punk elements, simultaneously delivering feelings of nostalgia, teenage angst, and raw emotion to fans. I would have loved to see more variety in production and melody primarily in some songs, where she could have explored other punk elements and taken some more risks; however, I think each of their individualities will become more prominent with time and more listens.
While upbeat tracks that are inundated with a fiery bass guitar and blasting drums make up much of GUTS’ composition, tearjerking ballads that resonate with her millions of listeners also heavily support the album. As a lover of deeper, more lyrically advanced tunes myself, “Lacy,” “The Grudge,” “Making the Bed” and “Logical” are among my top tracks, as they evoke the same feelings that “driver’s license” and “traitor” of SOUR divulged back in 2021. The young singer-songwriter never fails to uncover emotions of all sorts across her fan base. She manages to write about the dramas of her personal life, but instead of leaving listeners deciphering who they’re about for her, they connect the songs to their own experiences.
GUTS follows the teenage-turning-adult struggles of self identity, love, and establishing a place for yourself in the world. Overall, the album did feel like a SOUR Part 2, which depending on the listener, could be good or bad. For fans of the singer’s established sound, a deeper dive into their favorite genre was more than they could’ve wished for, but for those who wanted something new, they may be feeling unsatisfied with the album.
