Olivia Rodrigo Spills Her Guts On Sophomore Album

Fresh off her Disney stardom, Olivia Rodrigo released her first album, Sour, in March of 2021. With viral tracks like Driver’s License, a celebrity love triangle and three Grammy Awards, the 18-year-old made a splash on the pop scene.

Filled with catchy songs and relatable lyrics about her first big heartbreak, Rodrigo managed to develop a brand. She’s a teenage girl writing in her diary that is just like you一minus the whole fame thing. A youthful Y2K nostalgic style helped her stick out and projected her as the next big pop girly. 

Two and a half years later, the pop star released her sophomore album, Guts, on Sept. 8.  

Not only does Rodrigo deliver the raw authenticity of Sour but she builds on it, adding a biting edge.

A clever play on the phrase “spill your guts,” Guts is literally that Rodrigo spilling her guts. The first track All-American B*tch sets the tone of the album. In it, the 20-year-old addresses criticisms and plays on the concept of the perfect all-American girl. The track is high energy with screams and a fun chorus. “I know my age and I act like it,” is a funny response to those who have called Rodrigo’s work juvenile because she is a young adult.

However, interlaced with the upbeat melodies and witty lyrics, is an underlying darkness almost every adolescent can relate to一a fear of looming adulthood. Rodrigo addresses her complex feelings with growing up in the spotlight and the pressures associated with womanhood. 

Lacy explores the never ending struggle of comparing yourself to others. Teenage Dream addresses her fear of peaking in her teenage years, as well as the darker side of child stardom. Though released as a single in June 2023,  Vampire is a song that gets better with every play. She uses vampires as a metaphor for a toxic boyfriend in the chorus, “Bloodsucker, famef*cker Bleedin’ me dry…” packs a real punch, showcasing the vulnerability of Rodrigo’s writing.

Perhaps the song that best captures the overall message of Guts is Get Him Back! It uses a double entendre in its title, Get Him Back!  to channel the complicated emotions of a breakup. The bridge is filled with juxtapositions such as “I wanna key his car, I wanna make him lunch” and “I wanna kiss his face with an uppercut.” The lyrics show humor and demonstrate a wide-range of emotions.

The tracks on Guts are perfectly ordered, alternating between funny and angry, sad and energetic, to tell her story. 

Guts feels like catching up with a close friend. It  not only lives up to the hype, it exceeds it.