Guts by Olivia Rodrigo

Review written by Enjeans

Olivia Rodrigo has been one of my favorite artists for a few years now. Her second album, Guts, made me enjoy her even more. The album was made even better with her releasing a deluxe version, Guts (spilled), because, I’m going to be honest, I was already listening to the leaked demos of some of the songs on the deluxe release. Experiencing it for the first time is so nice when others have not had the chance to post about their opinions yet. Rodrigo was a teenage girl at some point, meaning she has a great way of putting those experiences and thoughts in her song, and I think other girls, including myself, can relate to these themes.

The album’s sound is very pop rock, mixed with some indie. She does a great job filling her music with emotions, with no dull moments. It makes sense for her demographic, young girls. Her songs make you want to sing as loud as you can while you drive, no matter the mood of the song. Most of her discography is love songs, but Guts adds songs about self-worth and self-image.

The album starts with “All-American Girl,” a sweet song that flips to a pop-rock rant about having to be perfect. It’s a great contrast from the outer, perfect seeming girl to the angry and frustrating feeling she has inside. It is one of my favorite songs on the album because of the switch between the two sounds in the song. “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” has similar themes to the first song of the album, where she shows how imperfect she is. I had this song on repeat for so long! The feeling that you are never doing anything right and just being weird is so real.

“Pretty Isn’t Pretty” is the second to last song on Guts, and the continuing songs are the deluxe songs. “Pretty Isn’t Pretty” is a good end to the initial album, with the narrator not feeling good enough, but the album truly ends with “Teenage Dream,” where nothing is resolved with the narrator. Guts is about stages of grief and how the narrator tries to be more perfect, and have better experiences. Even as a sad ending to the album, it is a realistic one. I love that so much in her music.

Rodrigo sings a lot about exes, and she switches the genre for this topic in multiple songs. “Bad Idea Right?” is a pop rock song where she states how she knows it’s not the greatest idea, but she wants to see her ex. Then follows a song showing how imperfect she is, where she goes back to her ex despite all her friends discouraging it. It’s so catchy and fun, basically saying, “Oops! It happened again!” It’s a mistake she has made and will probably make again. I love loud vocals, and this song has that. The next song after this one, “Vampire,” is a 360 view of past pop-rock songs and shows us how amazing Olivia’s vocals are. She puts her whole heart into the song and you hear it in her voice as she sings. This is one where she kind of sounds like she’s going to cry, with such heartfelt lyrics.

We jump to “Logical,” where she tries to make sense of a breakup. Just as heartbreaking as “Vampire,” she sings about how love is “never logical,” and how she can love someone even when he has hurt her so much. I feel like this song isn’t talked about enough. “Love is Embarrassing” switches back to a poppy sound that perfectly encapsulates how I freak out! The instruments and her voice feel like they are all over the place; it feels like panic. But it’s so cheery, like you’re trying to keep it together while thinking “Why did I do that?” and internally freaking out. I love this song, but honestly, I can’t listen to it when it makes me think about how dumb I have been in the past. Lastly, “So American” is the last real love song on the deluxe album. Other songs touch on the topic but are usually about something else, so this is a rare song, and I am glad she added it to the album. It has a similar sound to “Love is Embarrassing,” but with a more lovely dovey tone. She is finally happy! It’s so refreshing listening to her more positive love songs. Whether sad or happy, Rodrigo does a great job showing a girl who is still figuring herself out while experiencing these things. The bonus songs start angry with “Obsessed,” a pop-rock rock shift from the last few songs, in which she compares herself to her boyfriend’s exes. Rodrigo talks about very specific scenarios in her songs, and I feel like that is what is appealing. “Obsessed” is a very specific moment of jealousy of exes who you probably shouldn’t be jealous of.

This album speaks to me. Rodrigo is raw about her mistakes and her feelings, which many girls have experienced. I love her lyrics and she has a talent for putting her feelings perfectly into a song with perfect instrumentation. I am so excited for her future albums and the next concept.