Review | Olivia Rodrigo says goodbye to her youth in ‘GUTS’

The world-renowned singer-songwriter released her sophomore album, ‘GUTS,’ on Sept. 8, which contains themes of heartbreak, toxic exes, pressure to conform and navigating young adulthood. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer

After Olivia Rodrigo’s tumultuous teen years, she has become bolder. She has become gutsier.

The artist swiftly dominated the music industry in 2021 with her debut album, “SOUR,” topping charts with hits like breakout single “drivers license,” as well as “deja vu” and “good 4 u.” In her 11-track album, she chronicled the unpleasant and difficult experiences of her adolescence — heartbreak, betrayal, toxic relationships and the pressures that teenagers face — expressing her sadness and anger through heart-wrenching ballads and cathartic pop-rock bangers. 

Rodrigo achieved astronomical success at only 18 years old and carved herself a place among the most popular artists of today. 

Now, at 20, Rodrigo is back to take over the music scene again. On Sept. 8, she released her sophomore album, “GUTS.” In her new 12-song album, she sings about the end of her teen years and the start of her young adult life. “GUTS” features more angsty pop-rock songs and emotional ballads that her fans love. However, Rodrigo’s second album reflects the self-assurance she has gained since 2021 despite still being young.

The album opens with the anthem, “all-american b-tch.” The song alternates between a folksy acoustic tune — where she dreamily sings lyrics like, “I am as light as a feather / I’m as stiff as a board,” and “I’ve got sun in my motherf-ckin’ pocket” — and a hard-hitting rock beat for the chorus, declaring “I know my age, and I act like it” and “I’m a perfect all-American bitch.” She wants her listeners to know that she is not the perfect, prototypical American pop star that people expect her to be. She is a messy, complex person like other young adults.

“vampire,” the first single from “GUTS,” shows the anguish Olivia has experienced as a result of an ex-boyfriend taking advantage of her. In the chorus, she sings, “Bloodsucker, fame f-cker / Bleedin’ me dry like a god-damn vampire.” It’s a hard-hitting track reminiscent of “drivers license.” While Rodrigo misses an ex who broke her heart in “drivers license,” she is now angry at her ex for using her in “vampire.”

In “bad idea right?,” the other single off “GUTS,” Rodrigo playfully acknowledges her poor-decision making in a mid-tempo rock song as she expresses her desire to see an ex-boyfriend, ignoring the reasons why she broke up with him in the first place. “Seeing you tonight / It’s a bad idea, right?” she asks. Rodrigo knows in the back of her mind that her ex is still the same person he was when they broke up, but she still goes to his place because she is still attracted to him.

“get him back!” is an upbeat rock song that has a double meaning. Listeners from the title may think that the song is about Rodrigo’s plan to get back together with her ex, but the track is actually the opposite. Instead, Rodrigo wants to take revenge on her ex for his mistreatment. “I wanna get him back / I wanna make him really jealous, wanna make him feel bad.” Instead of “cryin’ on the floor of (her) bathroom” like in “good 4 u,” Rodrigo is channeling her anger into making this ex regret ever hurting her.

In “lacy,” Rodrigo explores the coexistence of her jealousy and admiration for a woman. “Lacy, oh Lacy, skin like puff pastry / Aren’t you the sweetest thing on this side of hell?” Rodrigo croons in the gentle indie song. She does not want to like Lacy, but can’t help but be drawn to her. “lacy” is like giving a whole song to her ex’s new lover in her “SOUR” song, “happier,” in which Rodrigo gives the girl compliments, but in “lacy,” Rodrigo focuses on the woman and leaves men out of the picture.

“pretty isn’t pretty” is a follow-up to “jealousy, jealousy” from “SOUR.” Jealousy often leads to insecurities about one’s appearance. No matter how hard Rodrigo tries to beautify herself, she still does not feel confident. “Pretty isn’t pretty enough,” she says. Even world-famous pop stars who are known for their beauty like Rodrigo can still struggle with self-worth because their appearance is not to their liking.

Rodrigo closes the album with “teenage dream,” a melancholic, emotional ballad about the end of her adolescence. She reflects on the person that she is as she approaches her twenties, describing the effects that stardom at a young age has had on her. “When am I gonna stop being wise beyond my years and just start being wise?” she asks. Rodrigo had to grow up fast having entered the entertainment industry at a young age as an actress before starting her music career. 

She circles back to her message in “all-american b-tch” that she is young and imperfect, reassuring herself, “Got your whole life ahead of you / You’re only 19.” When Rodrigo says, “I’m sorry I couldn’t always be your teenage dream” in the chorus, it is like she is comforting the 17-year-old version of herself who was disappointed with how her adolescence was going in “SOUR”’s opening song, “brutal,” asking, “Where’s my f-cking teenage dream?”

As Rodrigo has grown up, she’s realized that even though her teen years weren’t what she thought, she has many years ahead of her after her adolescence. She is not the teen icon she was during her time as the star of the hit Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” or during her “SOUR” era. Rodrigo is now a young woman in her 20s ready for the next phase of her life.

In “GUTS,” Rodrigo is more confident. “GUTS” displays the maturity that she has gained in her young adult years as well as the intense emotions that people in their late teens and early 20s deal with as they leave their youth behind. 

Listening to the album is emotionally cleansing, especially for Gen Z’ers like Rodrigo who were thrusted into adulthood after COVID-19 stole precious time from their high school years. After making “SOUR,” which won Rodrigo numerous awards and is one of the most popular albums of the 2020s so far, she faced a monumental challenge of creating a second album that would ensure the long-term success of her career. She outdid herself with “GUTS,” solidifying her place in the music industry by unapologetically showing her true self.