Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album “Guts” two years after her debut album “Sour” put her on the map.
Rodrigo is a force to be reckoned with, making herself known from the popular Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
While this role was where we first met her, she became a household name when her Grammy-winning album “Sour” dropped in 2021 and we got a glimpse into her heart and brain.
“Sour” gave a voice to teenage angst and the heartbreak that follows a breakup, which makes sense as most of the album was rumored to be about Rodrigo’s on and off-screen love interest, Joshua Bassett, who played Ricky Bowen in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
“Guts,” which was officially released Sept. 8, gives us all the female rage and self-deprecation that Generation Z adores so much by making fun of her past relationships and then crying about wanting them back. This album reflects on how one acts during and after a relationship ends, and the feelings that come with it.
The songs “Vampire” and “Bad Idea Right?” came out before the album’s release and gave insight into the theme of her new album: post-heartbreak phenomena.
“Bad Idea Right?” is a punk-pop hit that follows Rodrigo as she lies to her friends and reconnects with her ex. We all know a girl this song was written about, or maybe we were that girl.
While most songs have a bitter, emo-rock note to them, others shine a light on the gut-wrenching feeling of ignorance after a breakup, like the lyrics in “Love is Embarrassing,” she says, “And I consoled you while you cried / Over your ex-girlfriend’s new guy / My God, how could I be so stupid?”
Don’t worry girl, we’ve all been there. That’s the most blissful part of Rodrigo’s music — the validation and relatability that most teenage and young adult women experience from these songs.
Rodrigo’s listeners have taken some notes from fellow Swifties and have been theorizing over who may be the inspiration for certain songs on the new album, and some guesses are pretty good.
Fans online have taken it upon themselves to dub “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” to be about ex-situations and “Sour” influence, Joshua Bassett.
The lyrics “I talked to this hot guy, swore I was his type / Guess that he was makin’ out with boys, like, the whole night / Everythin’ I do is tragic, Every guy I like is gay,” throw hints to Bassett because he came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community soon after “Sour” was released. Not all the songs on her latest album are about guys, though.
Tracks “Lacy” and “Pretty isn’t Pretty” detail the excruciating pain of the female curse: never feeling good enough.
Women always compare themselves to other women.
Similar to “Jealousy, Jealousy,” the new track “Lacy” shows Rodrigo embracing her inadequacy to other women’s beauty and forming an obsession with either wanting to be her, wanting to be her friend or both.
It’s rare for a singer to have their artistic voice and personality down pat by their second album, and some even call it a “sophomore slump” when a second album can’t possibly top the first album. But Rodrigo came out guns blazing with “Guts” and kept listeners in their feels, just like “Sour” did.
This time around, however, she seems to have found some confidence and satisfaction within herself with songs like “Logical” and “Making the Bed,” where she takes accountability for unspoken past actions, but also, it takes two to tango, so how in-the-wrong can she be?
“Guts” isn’t a perfect album by any means and not all the tracks are bangers, but it’s refreshing and relatable with a touch of delusion, so there’s truly something for everyone.
“Guts” is out now on all listening platforms.