Image by Larissa Hoffman
Earlier this month, Olivia Rodrigo released her highly-anticipated sophomore album GUTS.
Rodrigo rose to fame through various acting jobs, including Disney’s Bazaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She then ventured into the music industry and took the world by song with her smash hit drivers license. In 2021, Olivia released her debut album SOUR which has the biggest global release by any female artist in Spotify history. The record also gave us hits such as good 4 u and deja vu.
Since SOUR‘s release and her sold out 2022 tour, fans have been patiently waiting for some new music and Olivia did not disappoint!
In June, Olivia released the first single off the record, vampire. The song beautifully depicts the tumultuous tendencies of a bad relationship, making the singer all the more relatable to her audience.
Shortly before the album’s release, Rodrigo gave us the second single bad idea right?. The song soon became a viral sensation online. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m continuously blown away by the work Olivia produces. These two singles really set the bar high for GUTS.
Let’s get into some of the best tracks on this album!
The first track, all-america bitch, explores feelings of misplacement in American culture and the idea of not quite fitting in. Many female listeners will find this song incredibly relatable. We must constantly be kind, but not too kind. Confident but not cocky. The list goes on and on. In the bridge, we hear overlaps of both calm and angry screams, perfectly representing frustration but having to be classy about it.
The song’s outro has gone viral on TikTok as a comment on living in the modern world as a woman. The bitter pettiness and frustration behind a preppy and polite set of lyrics is all too familiar.
Track 5 is titled ballad of a homeschooled girl. If any of you guys were homeschooled, you’ll complelety get this song. It perfectly encapsulates feeling socially stunted due to homeschooling and not really feeling like you fit in properly;
I broke a glass, I tripped and fell
ballad of a homeschooled girl, olivia rodrigo, guts
I told secrets I shouldn’t tell
I stumbled over all my words
I made it weird, I made it worse
Each time I step outside
It’s social suicide
It’s social suicide
Wanna curl up and die
It’s social suicide
Moving onto logical, we have yet another track that will really hit home for a lot of listeners. Olivia takes a deeper dive into subjects covered in the lead single vampire. The lyrics are commenting on things that just don’t add up or make sense, highlighting the extent of manipulation she felt in a relationship. This is certainly one of the best songs on the record.
Last but not least, let’s look at my favourite track pretty isn’t pretty. This heartfelt song takes a deep dive into all the issues women face in terms of never feeling good enough – society always finds something we need to do to improve. Take a listen to the song and you’ll see what I mean. It is truly impecable and perhaps one of the realest songs I’ve heard in a long time.
Most recently, Olivia released a music video for get him back! which was shot on the new iPhone 15 (brilliant marketing). The title of the song may mislead you, thinking that Rodrigo will start singing about missing a guy and wanting him back – but no! She sings about sweet revenge, using the phrase as a double meaning. There are subtle hints of mixed feelings of love – maybe she does want him back, but more importantly she wants revenge. Check out the video here;
Rodrigo is vengeful, angry and self-reflective in all the most beautifully valid ways. This able is truly the epitome of being a teenage girl in her twenties (the girls that get it, get it).
Stream GUTS on all platforms now
now for a little message from me! i’m so excited to be back & for the future of All Too Creative. from here on, i’ll be prioritising writing about what i find interesting and things i enjoy. expect a lot of pop culture, music and film with a little bit of lifestyle and personal stories thrown in there. i posted a more in depth statement on our instagram as to where i’ve been, check it out here
with love,
becky
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