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It is no secret that Olivia Rodrigo has become one of the most significant pop stars in the current music scene, as well as a core artist for many teenagers. Dealing with heartbreak, regret and insecurities, her music has helped listeners cope with the heavy emotions of adolescence. In the summer of 2021, her debut album “Sour” was released, breaking several industry records and propelling her into worldwide stardom. Unfortunately, her second studio album “Guts”, released Sep. 8, did not compare to the teenage emotional starter pack that was “Sour”.
“Guts” is a punk-rock album with a few ballads scattered throughout, the same track list style that made “Sour” famous. This album goes in-depth about how humiliating being a girl in modern society can be. However, I was not completely sold on some of the songs. Tracks such as “love is embarrassing”, “lacy” “and “logical ” are sonically flawed, despite the meaningful lyrics. Making an album sonically cohesive is crucial, as it makes every song have a connection with the others. In order to achieve this, each song should evoke a certain feeling with the way it sounds, rather than rely solely on the lyrics or emotional theme, and “Guts” failed to deliver in this aspect.
The songwriting on the album is more than adequate, and I resonated with some of the tracks. “The grudge”, “making the bed” and even “teenage dream” accurately portray the emotional turmoil within Olivia’s life, with references to herself and her past relationships. These songs are some of the select few that have both a touching emotional appeal and a moving melody. The mood of the album gives “Guts” a bratty intensity, as well as an ambivalent feeling regarding the situation with her ex. Despite the mood of her two albums tending to fluctuate, the lyrical aspect of both albums remained consistent and stayed true to the melancholy outcomes of her relationships and struggles in her life. One thing Rodrigo is good at delivering is making sure the content she’s creating is relatable. She creates lyrical masterpieces that target people her age going through any situation similar so they can resonate with her music, which I truly admire.
I look forward to seeing Rodrigo’s work in the future and watching how she progresses, hopefully being able to see a developing sense of uniformity in her future albums. From someone who sobbed her eyes out two years to Rodrigo’s debut album, “Guts” was a slight letdown, and I don’t think she lived up to her full potential as a flourishing artist in the music industry.
