Author Spotlight
Lucy Wolf
Ever since pop artist Olivia Rodrigo released her chart-topping and three-grammy-award-winning album “Sour” in 2021, fans — like myself — have been fiending for her to release more music.
The 12 track album “GUTS” was finally released on Friday, Sep. 8 after Rodrigo announced the album via Instagram on June 26. The wait was finally over — and yes, it was worth it.
Definitely the song I was most surprised by — my jaw was on the floor — but not in a good way. It wasn’t like her soft spoken and depressing songs on her previous album “SOUR.” At first, I wasn’t a fan of the soft singing that transitioned to the intense rock with screaming lyrics. But as I paid closer attention to the lyrics, the deeper meaning behind “all american b****” made me realize why it was the album opener. According to Elle.com, the opening lines of “I am light as a feather and as stiff as a board” and “I’m sexy and I’m kind, I’m pretty when I cry,” alludes to how women are expected to suppress their anger so they’re not labeled as “too emotional.” As the album is seen as “Rodrigo’s personal growth,” “all american b****” was the song to express the confusion that comes along with growing up. However this song is very loud and grungy, I’m waiting for something better or softer spoken.
The second single alongside ‘vampire’ released from “GUTS” was “…bad idea right?” on Aug. 11. From having previously heard snippets of this song on TikTok, my expectations for the full version were high. My mindset was, “If TikTok loves it, that means I’m going to love it” — but that wasn’t the case. It felt like I was being softly screamed at the whole song, and there were many moments where Rodrigo would talk rather than sing. While listening to “GUTS,” the more loud and upbeat songs like “all american b****” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” caught me off guard and I didn’t enjoy them as much as the more low-key songs like “making the bed” and “the grudge.”
The first single released from “GUTS” was “vampire” on June 30. Browsing through my TikTok in July, every video was to “vampire.” The song was addicting. I began scrolling past each video because I didn’t want to ruin the song for myself before the album was released. But even after hundreds of videos to “vampire,” I never got sick of the soft lyric shift to intense drum chorus — and I still haven’t . The more I listened to “vampire” the more I enjoyed the song: ranking it at number three.
With the first listen, “lacy” wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t my least favorite — it was just okay. I felt little remnants of “SOUR,” which likely made me enjoy the song more. “Lacy” is about obsessing over another girl, wishing you were like her. Placed right after “vampire” in the album, I had higher expectations for the song considering how well known “vampire” was. I thought to myself “‘lacy’ must be really good if it follows ‘vampire.’” As Rodrigo wraps up her feelings of jealousy by singing, “Lacy oh Lacy, I just loathe you lately,” track four comes to an end and it sadly didn’t live up to my high hopes.
The number 12 placeholder on my ‘GUTS’ ranking. On the track, Rodrigo talks about the struggles and mishaps that come along with growing up and maturing. Reminiscing on the embarrassing moments in the past, hating your clothes or falling for the wrong guy, it’s all mentioned in the song. The dark humor and exhaustion displayed in this song made me rank “ballad of a homeschooled girl” last on the album — it just felt like the song was all over the place, with the loud and intense rock aspect of it. I was still waiting for something better.
Finally that sad, soft and meaningful song I have been waiting for. “Making the bed” seems to be about Rodrigo’s first single “drivers license” and the fame that followed her success with that song. Rodrigo sings “I got the things I wanted just not what I imagined” which shows that her life changed since her rise to fame and it wasn’t always what was expected. The chorus and overall soft dynamics of “making the bed” are the reasons for its second ranking overall.
Another heartfelt and soul crushing song from Rodrigo. “Logical” shows more of the manipulation and self-blame that can come from relationships. With the line “Thinkin’ two plus two equals five” Rodrigo expressies how easy it was for her to believe the lies and manipulation in her trauma-filled relationship. I put “logical” at four on my “GUTS” ranking for the strong message throughout the song. I’ll definitely be playing this one again.
Currently the number one song on “Today’s Top Hits” on Spotify, “get him back” is a fan favorite and seemingly a crowd pleaser if it is number one on Spotify. But for me it was my number 10 due to the intense pop-rock aspect of the song. This song is about the regret towards a boy that Rodrigo used to date and wanting to make him jealous and sorry. On the album a few of the songs have been leaning more on the pop-rock genre side — which I haven’t enjoyed as much — and “get him back” is definitely one of those songs.
Exactly what you would expect from the title — a song about the embarrassment and pain that comes from an unsuccessful romantic relationship. Rodrigo calls herself a “goddamn fool” as she sings about falling for someone who was never interested. I found this song similar to some of her other ones, which led me to rank it at nine, the same as the order of the song in the album.
Yes. Just yes. The “driver’s license” of the “GUTS” album. “The grudge” is arguably the best song on “GUTS ” as it’s already displayed all over TikTok, where most users have it ranked as their number one song on the album — mine included. Rodrigo sings about someone who she once had a deep “undying love” for and betrayed her trust and ultimately hurt her. This song among others is leaving fans wondering who they’re written about, while others are enjoying Rodrigo’s raw emotion.
A song where Rodrigo talks about the beauty standards while also wanting to change for someone rather than yourself. When she sings “I could try every lipstick in every shade but I’d always feel the same” Rodrigo expresses the struggles she’s faced when she hasn’t felt pretty enough and the exhaustion of trying to keep up with everyone else. Although the overall theme of the song is slightly cliche, “pretty isn’t pretty” drew me in with its slightly less dramatic take on the pop-rock genre.
The final track on “GUTS” reflects on the struggles of growing up surrounded by the fame and the pressure put on her in the music industry. “Teenage dream” is the best song to end the album with, as it’s an ode to her childhood and teenage years. With “teenage dream” reminding me of “hope ur ok” on the “SOUR” album, the soft dynamics and chorus has me adding the song to my liked song playlist on Spotify so I can play it on repeat.
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