On Friday, Sept. 8, 20-year-old singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album “Guts,” a fitting title for songs that have just that: vulnerable lyrics that encapsulate the experience of being a teenage girl.
While still tapping into the fast-paced and energetic nature of her first album “Sour,” “Guts” is a much more elevated and sophisticated work for the young star, showing us her vast range in ability. What makes this album so powerful is Rodrigo’s commitment to creating something innovative and honest. Rodrigo told Zayn Lowe on Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily Radio that “Guts” is really “about the confusion that comes with becoming a young adult” and that “that’s probably an experience that everyone has had in their life before.” Rodrigo’s ability to write something that anyone can relate to is what makes her work special.
While Rodrigo’s work has always centered on the teenage experience, “Guts” holds a more special place in my heart than her previous output. At a closer listen, it’s more about the experiences of womanhood and, as many fans on TikTok have spoken about, bringing the concept of female rage to a whole new generation. As defined by Alicia Alvarez at Her Campus, female rage, as opposed to other forms of rage, is uniquely feminine and is seen as a “response to the struggles, oppressions, and wrongdoings that women have been subjected to.” Female rage has also been an underlying theme in media for years, as seen in films like “Carrie,” “Heathers” and “Jennifer’s Body.” While this concept is not exactly new, Rodrigo expands upon it, adding her own experiences from all aspects of her life. The subject matter of “Guts” draws from subjects from her teen years to her frustrations existing as a woman in the entertainment industry, making the album a wide-ranging collection of songs centered around rage and empowerment.
Despite the album’s stylistic shifts, the concept of female rage is evident in each track. Some songs are energetic and pop-punk in style, while others are moody piano ballads, fading out into soft melodic pieces with not much transition in between. But, on a closer listen, “Guts” fits together satisfyingly, each story tying into the next and telling a true narrative that is not often seen in contemporary pop albums.
The first track, “all-american [expletive],” sets the tone for the whole album and main theme. Beginning with a soft chord progression, there’s something slightly quirky about it. It’s not quite lyrical and it’s not pop-punk either, but something between the two that really describes Rodrigo’s new style that she plays with in “Guts.” The song is the perfect exploration of girlhood, juxtaposing soft, feminine verses shrouded in sarcasm with angry, energetic verses. When put together as a singular entity, it describes the unattainable expectations of femininity in American society, making fun of the reality of trying to be the ‘all-american’ girl. It’s obvious why this became one of the most popular songs from the album; even after my 10th-plus listen it stands as one of my favorites.
It’s hard for me to really pick standouts of “Guts” since each track has its own story, but another favorite of mine is “lacy.” When I first listened, I immediately thought that “lacy” sounded like something by boygenius or Gracie Abrams with its focus on lyricism and folky sound, rather than Rodrigo’s usual heavy pop-punk style. After more research, I found that Rodrigo pulled a lot of inspiration from boygenius’ “the record” when writing “Guts.” “lacy” is completely different in style from “all-american [expletive]” and most of the other tracks on the album as well. However, it fits the theme of “Guts” by building beautifully upon feminine rage, adding some depth to the album. “lacy” shows us the concept of jealousy and longing to be the ‘perfect’ girl, tying back into the ideas shown in “all-american [expletive].” From my interpretation, “lacy” is not an actual person, but a personification of perfect femininity: an unattainable ideal, yet something that all girls are conditioned to strive to reach. In a more personal sense, it can also be attributed to Rodrigo’s own discomfort in her skin and urge to compare herself to others, adding a tender, vulnerable layer to the album that makes the song so much deeper.
What makes “Guts” so powerful is its honest exploration of womanhood. By centering “Guts” on mature topics like sexism and womanhood, Rodrigo is not only educating a younger generation on important issues, but also giving teen girls something to relate to. Even after years of this famous “Jennifer’s Body” quote, “Guts” shows us that “hell is a teenage girl.”
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