by | Salma Cano
Staff Reporter
Dropping her sophomore album, breakout star, Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” has its debut at No.1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart. There are 12 tracks on the album, a mixture of pop-rock songs, and sentimental ballads.
Being No.1 on the US Billboard Top 100 for nine consecutive weeks, “vampire” is the most streamed track on this album. With this being her first single on the album, her fans from her freshman album, “Sour”, were not disappointed. Melodically starting off at a slow, mysterious tempo, the audience initially thinks that this will be a more melancholy song, but after the first verse, we realize that it’s all leading up to the climax of the chorus, especially with the lyrics “I used to think I was smart/But you made me look so naive/The way you sold me for parts/As you sunk your teeth into me”.
A track that I was personally drawn to from this album is “logical”. As an individual who is more interested in songs lyrically, I adore this track and its use of satire. Despite its name, this is a very illogical song where the speaker believes the opposite of what is true because they are so caught up in a relationship with a partner who is manipulative and ridicules them. “The sky is green, the grass is red/And you mean all those words you said/I’m sure that girl is really your friend/Our problems are all solvable” are lines in the second chorus that demonstrate the delusional tone of how trusting the speaker was in their partner, just to be left feeling betrayed at the end.
A track that I am not the biggest fan of though, is “bad idea, right?”, the second single from “GUTS”. When this was first released, I was more surprised than anything. This track is one of Rodrigo’s most talk-singing type songs she has released, which some appreciate, however, my main issue was the lyrics. This song does have a catchy rhythm and, it’s not so much that this song isn’t good, it’s simply that other songs from this album are better, and not as corny. “love is embarrassing” would have been the perfect song to replace this one as the second single that Rodrigo released before putting out the entire album, because, just like “bad idea, right?”, it has a playful melody with fun lyrics to describe irrational situations. However, “love is embarrassing” describes the feelings behind this in a more nonstereotypical manner, finding more creative ways to express the circumstances of returning to past relationships, even when it may not be the brightest idea.
However, the least streamed track on this album I believe is one of Rodrigo’s most underrated songs yet. The final track on this album, “teenage dream” is one of her most heartbreaking. In this track, she sings about the depression teens experience when they feel as though they aren’t enough. There are many lyrics in this song that demonstrate a lot of the overthinking that contributes to these feelings. “And when are all my excuses of learning my lessons gonna start to feel sad?/Will I spend all the rest of my years wishing I could go back?”
Overall, I do think that this is a very good album that is crafted perfectly for my generation. The public responded really well to her first album, and though we can’t be sure just how successful this will be, I do think that “GUTS” is a good step forward from “Sour”. Olivia Rodrigo is developing very well as a singer in all aspects. She is showing more of her fun and bold side of herself while still openly expressing her feelings in a way that many can relate to. In my book, this album deserves 4.5 out of five stars for the great lyricism and production it demonstrates. We’ll have to wait and see if everyone is just as obsessed with this album as I am.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
