![]() The track’s lyrics deliver a relatable message that should be heard by her audience, and the second verse crescendos very nicely into the chorus, but the problem here lies in the anticlimactic hook. The production on “pretty isn’t pretty” is a new taste within Rodrigo’s catalog, based around a driving bassline and drum beat with more hi-fi, Current Joys-esque guitar tones layered on top. Rodrigo can undoubtedly deliver impressive and emotional vocal performances, but she sometimes struggles to make her dramatic ballads very interesting or memorable within her tracklists (see “enough for you” and “hope ur ok” from her debut as well). “the grudge” finds hints of detail in some lyrics but overall, it doesn’t contain the standout moments that it needs to be a replayable track from the album. It seems like this was the right approach for her based on how much good energy this song has.Ī few low points on the album are the second-half ballads “logical” and “the grudge.” Even though the former’s chorus has a solid concept, focusing on her ex-partner lying and manipulating, the basic production does not help build much interest in the song. The chorus provides easily one of the most catchy, hit-worthy hooks on the album which also has Rodrigo choosing fun over sulking when trying to figure out how to get revenge on a boy. The Alexander 23 co-produced “get him back!” also succeeds where other album tracks fall a bit flat, with Rodrigo’s rapping on the verses sounding confident and tight, with a laid-back flow oddly reminiscent of Del the Funky Homosapien’s verses on “Clint Eastwood” by Gorillaz. The idea of flakey croissants and bakery treats makes “skin like puff pastry” sound worrisome and painful. One of the standout tracks is “lacy,” which begins with a horribly ill-fitting metaphor but manages to recover with eerily stunning chords and harmonies. The pumping synth bass on “love is embarrassing” fits this feeling as well. Similar imagery seems fitting for “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” but maybe this time it’s friends walking down the street instead of the halls, due to the title. The vamping guitar chords that lead into “bad idea right?” instantly bring visuals of a large cafeteria with school spirit hanging from the walls. Despite a sense of growth in her lyrics, the production still hits “high school, coming of age movie soundtrack” on the nose at times. Rodrigo has lived through years of fame now, and her experiences on “making the bed” reflect on social outings at the club (even though she is still under 21) and situations that feel more adult, albeit fairly young-adult. ![]() From the singles alone, it is clear that the fans will eat up GUTS for what it is, which is a slightly more mature extension of SOUR. But as only her second album with so much time to grow in the future, does she even need to switch it up yet? Could Rodrigo and Nigro create a different enough album to impress once again? With a more specific appeal than some pop artists, it could easily come off as SOUR Part 2. While SOUR provided Rodrigo with a seemingly-guaranteed launchpad to a lengthy career as a pop star, the worry of repetition going into GUTS was there. On GUTS, Rodrigo chose to run it back with SOUR producer Dan Nigro, a smart choice for the sake of recapturing their magic. Her first album captured the essence of high school drama and early relationships with potent, transparent lyricism and soundtrack-like arrangements. Now at the age of 20, her young career has been wildly successful and publicized. Prior to Rodrigo’s debut single “drivers license,” she had been most commonly known for her roles in Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Bizaardvark. The album follows the two successful singles “vampire” and “bad idea right?,” both reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the former debuting at #1. After two years of waiting, GUTS was released on September 8th through Geffen Records to heavy anticipation from fans. ![]() Olivia Rodrigo has returned with the follow up to her massive 2021 debut album SOUR.
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