Review | Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘GUTS’ beats the sophomore slump

Olivia Rodrigo has received immense praise following the release of her sophomore album “GUTS.” With a mixture of rock and pop punk songs and ballads revolving around the highs and lows of being a teenage girl, Rodrigo says it’s okay to be dramatic. Reflecting on her past relationships and feelings about being in the spotlight at a young age, the album dives into deeper topics than its predecessor “SOUR.”

While her fanbase is mostly composed of girls around her age who can directly relate to her lyrics, everyone can get something from one of these songs. Whether it’s the petty teenage bitterness in “get him back!” or the frustration of getting everything you’ve ever wanted but still not being content in “making the bed,” there’s a song for everyone. 

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and all 12 of its tracks charted on the Hot 100. Despite the success of the lead single “vampire,” Rodrigo revealed the song wasn’t even in her top three favorites on the album in an interview with Amazon Music.

“My three favorite songs off the album right now are “all-american bitch,” “logical” and “love is embarrassing,” Rodrigo said. 

“all-american bitch,” the first track on the album, is Rodrigo’s way of venting about her opinions on the music industry. She switches from soft, breathy vocals to screaming into the microphone. She sings “I know my age and I act like it!” and ends the song with repeating the term “I’m grateful all the time,” making her audience aware that she knows the expectations for her as a woman in the industry. It’s quite the opener and sets the tone for the rest of the album. 

In “making the bed,” Rodrigo shows a more vulnerable side of herself. The song reflects on her self-esteem and satisfaction with fame. It feels like a conversation she has with herself as she is falling asleep. The song works so well because it feels like she is realizing just how unsatisfied she is along with the listener. She sings through a stream of subconscious thoughts while returning home from a night out with friends or, in Rodrigo’s case, a red carpet event. 

“logical,” the seventh track on the album, is Rodrigo realizing that love is not always rational. In the chorus of the song she sings, “And now you got me thinkin’/ two plus two equals five/ and I’m the love of your life/ ’cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine/ then changing you is possible/ no, love is never logical.” 

A common theme with the album is that while it feels that these songs are speaking directly to the listener, it’s simultaneously as if Rodrigo is hearing her own words for the first time as well. Her voice breaks, she screams and she wails on this album — all to encompass what it feels like to realize everything you thought you knew is not as it seems. While a lot of these messages can be applied to a rise into the spotlight and teenage romance, it’s easy to place yourself in this album. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rodrigo spoke about some of the pressure she felt when making “GUTS” after the success of “SOUR.”

“The beginning was really hard,” Rodrigo said. “I felt like I couldn’t write a song without thinking about what other people were going to think of it. There were definitely days where I found myself sitting at the piano, excited to write a song, and then cried.” 

Many artists face the pressure of what is commonly known as the sophomore slump, especially after a successful album. There are expectations from fans, the media and themselves. 

With Rodrigo being 18 at the release of “SOUR” and only 20 with “GUTS,” her career is only beginning to take off. Now a three-time Grammy winner, Rodrigo has cemented herself as a rising star in the music industry.