A long overdue review of GUTS

All I've heard since the moment Olivia Rodrigo released her second album is "Brianna we need to know your thoughts!" so here I am, finally sharing my thoughts (I hope you can sense my sarcasm).

Music. A crucial and yet sometimes criminally underrated experience. Ever since I was a little girl I’ve always had a song stuck in my head and as I got older I learned that I had a slight obsession with lyrics. I’ve found it difficult to find artists that I resonate with but a few years ago when I first watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and found out Olivia Rodrigo writes songs, I fell down the rabbit hole. I feel like I was SOUR’s #1 fan so obviously I was excited when she released her second album. It’s been a while since GUTS was released but I’ve fully digested it and need to discuss with someone so here I am writing about it. Below I will rank the songs from my personal least favorite to favorite and explaining my reasoning.

Before we start, I’d just like to make a disclaimer that this is my personal opinion. I believe we all have preferences to different things based on our personal experiences and we all prefer different ways things hit our ears. If you don’t like what I like that’s perfectly fine! Actually, it’s great because can you imagine how painfully bland the world would be if we all had the same taste? Anyway, let’s get into it.

12. love is embarrassing 

Although I understand the idea of the song, it was the one I connected with the least. One of the things I really appreciate about Olivia Rodrigo is her brutal honesty. You can always count on her to share her perspective about a less than optimal situation she’s placed herself in. I DEFINITLEY resonate with the thought process of remembering one cringey thing I did in the past and then it snowballing into every painful thing I’ve ever done.. reminds me of a lot of late nights (..that I definitely don’t still have haha). I do however, like the theatrics of the song, she sounds livid at herself as she lists all the things she’s done for someone who probably wouldn’t do half those things for her. That being said, I don’t like the line “watch as I crucify myself”, it just doesn’t sit right with me. I also just don’t believe that love is embarrassing.. I can be a bit of a hopeless romantic sometimes so it doesn’t come naturally for me to agree with and vibe to the song. Of course, if you see me bopping to the song in public don’t call me out, because I do like the beat.

Favorite Line: “I’m planning out my wedding with some guy I’m never marrying”

11. making the bed 

My honest reason why this song is lower on the list for me is because it wasn’t the most memorable, rhythm-wise. My interpretation of this song is Olivia discusses the ups and downs of the new-found fame she’s experienced. This song is relatable in the sense of trying to be someone you’re not and then having to deal with the consequences of your actions. Every once in a while, celebrities make songs about how fame isn’t all it’s cracked out to be and I believe them every time. The song’s grown on me since the first listen, it’s just not the first song I play when I think of the album.

Favorite Line: “I got the things I wanted it’s just not what I imagined”

10. teenage dream 

This song reminds me of “Nothing New” by Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers. It has a diaristic type quality to it, it’s interesting to hear how while the world is praising her for her talents and excited to see what she’ll do next, she’s so concerned about what’s next she can’t relish in her success. I love that the song ends with a question and the choir-like sound but other than that it reminds me of “making the bed” and other ballads she’s created in the past.

Favorite Line: “Will I spend all the rest of my years wishing I could go back?”

9. pretty isn’t pretty 

I am ALWAYS down for a “let’s question society’s beauty standards” message because it’s something I think about daily. The reason this song isn’t higher on the list is because it reminds me of “jealousy, jealousy” which I happen to like more. Nonetheless, the message hits just as hard. I will say, the experiences she lists in the song are interesting, you always hear about controlling what you’re eating or working out for extensive amounts of time but painting the picture of someone not eating cake on their birthday in the name of beauty showcases pain perfectly. As someone who’s struggled with my appearance my entire life, I know that I would’ve been screaming and crying to this song while I was in high school. The beat of this song wasn’t my favorite. I’m still learning more about rhythm and music so I don’t know the technical terms yet but it’s an A+ for lyrics.

Favorite Line: “I started to skip lunch, stopped eating cake on birthdays”

8. logical 

I don’t have too much to say about this song other than the fact that it’s a good “gut-puncher”. It sounds like I’m reading a letter Olivia is sending to an ex which is what I like most about it. You can get a clear picture of this guy she’s talking to through how she describes his actions and let me tell you, it’s not a pretty picture. Out of all the slower songs on the album, this is one of my favorites. I also happen to say “It’s like 1+1=3” when I feel things don’t make sense so I automatically liked the “2+2=5 and I’m the love of your life” line. A personal bonus for this song is that I learned it on guitar and it’s fun to play.

Favorite Line: “Cause loving you is loving every argument you held over my head, brought up the girls you could have instead”

7. the grudge

Remember when I said we all have favorite songs based on personal experiences? This is one of those times. One thing about me is I know how to hold on to a painful memory and coincidentally that’s what this whole song is about. I love that she admits that she tries to be tough and mean but she’s deeply hurt. The versatility is also what makes this song so appealing, you could apply it to romantic relationships, past friendships, or even family members. I said this earlier about her theatrics (which checks out because she’s a literal actress) but they shine through in this song. Every time I listen, I imagine Olivia pouring her heart out to the one that hurt her the most, and the emotions peak at the bridge. I also can’t help but wonder what happened on “That Friday in May”.

Favorite Line: “Your flowers filled with vitriol, you build me up to watch me fall, you have everything, and you still want more”

6. lacy

When I first listened to the album, Lacy was my least favorite, quite honestly because I didn’t understand it. After listening to it several times over, it slowly grew on me. I feel like the topic of jealousy isn’t covered commonly even though it’s a feeling we all experience (we’re just usually too proud to admit it). In my opinion, Lacy could be about a specific woman in (possibly) Olivia’s life whom she admires and simultaneously envies. We’re taken on a journey as she points out Lacy’s amazing qualities, but the tone is more unsettling than adoring. From my perspective, it sounds like these qualities are slowly driving her to madness but I could be wrong. It also goes without mentioning that the use of guitar in this song is beautiful. The lyrics do a great job at expressing envy, obviously Lacy seems to be so “perfect” and nice you can’t come up with a logical reason to hate her but you want what she has so badly she leaves a bad taste in your mouth. For me, this song was the shocker of the album and I appreciate that it’s a bit of a thinker.  

Favorite Line: “Like ribbons in your hair, my stomach’s all-in knots, you got the one thing that I want”

5. bad idea right?

Another quality I admire about Olivia Rodrigo is her storytelling skills. She knows how to take you on a journey, and an entertaining one at that. Listening to this song can almost make you feel like you’re one of her friends listening to a crazy night she had over the weekend. I love the comedy of the song as well, how she’s justifying her reasoning for seeing her ex, also the beat gets me every time. I honestly don’t think I have anything negative to say about this song, it’s a little repetitive but it makes sense for the concept of the song: you have a thought about something you know is probably not the best decision, but it keeps bugging you until you eventually give in. The song is just really fun, and I appreciate that.

Favorite Line: “I’m sure I’ve seen much hotter men, but I really can’t remember when”

4. get him back!

When I first heard this song, my immediate reaction was “Is she rapping?”. It took me a while to come around, but out of nowhere, I caught myself subconsciously singing the lyrics after only a couple of listens. Even though it’s embarrassing to admit, it took me watching a video on YouTube to notice that “I want to get him back” had a double meaning, I was honestly just vibing to the beat (this is a judgment-free zone OK?!). I appreciate the complexity with which Olivia processes different situations. This song makes perfect sense from the perspective of how irrational emotions can be. Do you love him? Do you hate him? The answer is yes. Even though I don’t have a craving for vengeance I love the attitude in the song, I’m actually shocked this wasn’t released as a single.

Favorite Line: I am my father’s daughter so maybe I could fix him

3. vampire 

Speaking of singles let’s talk about vampire. I’m going to be completely honest with you, I’m convinced I can be easily brainwashed when it comes to singles. Most of the time if the song is played enough eventually, I’ll be like “Oh my gosh, yeah! I love that song”. However, I think I genuinely liked this song from the first listen. When she first released it, I was caught off guard because it sounded like if a horror movie was a song (did that make sense to you? Because it did to me). The song’s premise reminds me of a less direct “Dear John”, a grown man dates a significantly younger woman and mentally messes with her throughout their relationship. I think it’s unique to describe this relationship as a parasitic one, and instead of using something real like a leech, she uses a mythical creature. This paints an even more graphic picture of not only a parasitic relationship but someone who turns out to be a monster. Also, the music video and her MTV Awards performance of this song were both.. *Chef’s kiss*.

Favorite Line: “You can’t love anyone ‘cause that would mean you had a heart”

2. All-American b**ch 

On September 8th at midnight I sat down in my bean bag chair excited to listen to Olivia’s second album while I worked on an embroidery kit I got from Target. I was expecting a faster-paced, rock-inspired song to open the album like Sour did and that’s what we got.. but on steroids. As I sat in my chair and listened to Olivia screaming for 15 seconds, I was both shocked and confused and honestly didn’t know if I liked it. Of course, just like a couple of other songs on this album not only did I end up liking it, I ended up loving it. In my opinion, female rage is always fun. Being a woman can sometimes feel impossible and this song encapsulates the ridiculous standards that are sometimes expected of women. The screams that abruptly lead into a soft angelic voice scratch an itch in my brain. It reminds me of all the times I scream internally but on the outside, I pretend to keep a calm and welcoming smile on their face because that’s what’s expected. It’s also fun to sing along to in the car (if you haven’t yet, do it now and thank me later).

Favorite: Line: (honestly the entire bridge) “I know my place, I know my place, AND THIS IS IT! I don’t get angry when I’m pissed, I’m the eternal optimist, I scream inside to deal with it”

1. ballad of a homeschooled girl 

I could cry due to how much I resonate with this song. Being relatable is a quality a lot of celebrities try to utilize but Olivia achieves this effortlessly. In this song she’s not only saying “I can feel a little awkward at times”, she goes on to list all of the reasons why you should believe her and man.. If this song were a checklist, I’d have about 90% crossed off. When I heard “searching how to start a conversation on a website” I almost choked on my drink and started looking around my room for hidden cameras because I could’ve sworn no one was around when I was doing that in my freshman year (of college lol). I cannot express how seen I feel when I listen to this song. Now, when I do something I don’t like in public, instead of replaying it in my head, I turn on this song and scream at the top of my lungs. I have such a soft spot for well-written songs that aren’t about relationships. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good breakup/romance song but when you can write a song about everyday experiences and make it interesting? You’ve officially got me. It’s only icing on the cake that this song is basically the story of my life. Thank you for your service Olivia, you are so brave.

Favorite Lines:

• The party’s done and I’m no fun I know, I know, I know, I know!

• Laughed at the wrong time, sat with the wrong guy, searching how start a conversation on a website

• The morning after I panic.. Oh gosh what did I say?

Obviously, I didn't include the "hidden tracks" because I don't own a record player, therefore I didn't buy GUTS on vinyl. However, I did hear some of the songs through TikTok and I don't have enough knowledge about them to add them to my current ranking but my favorite hidden track so far is "obsessed". I'm thinking about buying a record player this year so who knows, maybe I'll have a breakdown of those tracks in the future. 

Overall, I enjoy listening to Guts. The album is an emotional rollercoaster, something I pride myself on experiencing everyday. Olivia’s honest, funny, and her vocals are beautiful (including the screaming). I can't say whether I prefer Guts or Sour because I feel they're both amazing in their own right. I will be seeing her next year on the GUTS World Tour so I'm extremely excited to hear these songs live. 

If you've gotten this far, I sincerely appreciate you and I hope my review made some sort of sense, it's my first one so what do you expect? And if you haven't listened to Guts yet do so now!