Disney actress turned bonafide pop-rock star and teenage Grammy winner Olivia Rodrigo has returned to music. Her sophomore album “GUTS” has all of the raw emotion that carried her debut “SOUR”, though this time, it is coupled with the cathartic heavy rock sounds on which she was raised.
The singer has long cited her mother’s music taste as one of the biggest driving forces behind her compositional choices. A Gen Z singer-songwriter, Rodrigo exists in a generation raised on Avril Lavigne, Paramore, Miley Cyrus, and Taylor Swift, while her mother’s generation relied on the rock and grunge stylings of Alanis Morrisette, Pat Benatar, Le Tigre, and Hole. Each of these unique offshoots of rock and pop interlock with Rodrigo’s innate ability to resonate with a generation of women who came of age on the internet.
Rolling Stone‘s Rob Sheffield rated “GUTS” a “certified classic”.
How it feels being an Olivia Rodrigo fan over the age of 25 pic.twitter.com/MeftoSQxoT
— Joe (@joeefoster) September 8, 2023
On “ballad of a homeschooled girl” the singer laments the feeling of never doing anything right as a young woman. Rodrigo belts “I’m on the outside of the greatest inside joke/And I hate all my clothes/Feels like my skin doesn’t fit right over my bones.” The actress turned singer was famously home schooled for high school, and the track laments learning the social skills associated with young adulthood after having an unorthodox high school experience.
The album’s opener, “all-american b*tch”, sits as the perfect track for a Barbie-themed summer leading into early Autumn, adorned with all of the markings of the impossible standards society presents for women.
The Gutsiest Theories
Music fans are naturally quick to analyze lyrics, especially in the time of Taylor Swift. Swift famously drops easter eggs that reveal musical details ahead of her album releases, and describes real life situations and people in her life through layered metaphors.
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Naturally, fans of Rodrigo were quick to break out their magnifying glass on two of the new tracks specifically. On “ballad of a homeschooled girl”, Rodrigo references a crush that wound up being gay when she thought he was interested in her at first. Some took this line as a reference to her former “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” costar Joshua Bassett, who allegedly inspired “drivers license” and much of “SOUR.” Bassett later came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community, but remains unlabeled.
Not she shaded Joshua Bassett ????
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) September 7, 2023
Elsewhere, some suspect “lacy”, which discusses Rodrigo’s internal constant comparison that borders on obsession towards another beautiful girl, is now suspected to reference one of two pop stars. Some continue to insinuate that there is a rift between Rodrigo and Swift over writing credits, especially since Rodrigo has previously stated that Swift was one of her favorite artists growing up.
Some felt that the reference to French actress Brigitte Bardot meant that the track calls back to Sabrina Carpenter. The internet notoriously pitted the two women against each other amid rumors that Bassett had placed the three of them in a love triangle.
“Bardot reincarnate”
Okay… so… Lacy is about Sabrina Carpenter. Heard. #GUTS pic.twitter.com/7NxqPMZIzJ— tummy ache survivor (@littletinymango) September 8, 2023
Other tracks like “get him back” “love is embarrassing” and “the grudge” are anticipated to call back to Rodrigo’s alleged relationships with Adam Faze and Zach Bia.
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zack bia must pay for his crimes. https://t.co/wkujKNUkjZ pic.twitter.com/FgCf6skqlw
— Jordan (@JORDANLEWlS) September 8, 2023
Elsewhere, many are recognizing Rodrigo’s complex writing abilities that broach topics far beyond the trials and tribulations of teenage relationships. On “make the bed” the singer references coping with sudden international fame: “And I tell someone I love them just as a distraction/They tell me that they love me like I’m some tourist attraction.”
listening to make the bed feels like i am reading olivia’s diary entry or listening in on her therapy session like this is really sad and vulnerable and now i just want to hug her
— stormie (@stormiewrites) September 8, 2023
Social Media Reactions
The deeply relatable songs have TikTok users already at work crafting viral trends to the gut punching tracks.
@dreavazquez THE FIRST NOTE SO CRISP I CANT I LOVE HER #foruou #oliviarodrigo #guts #oliviarodrigoguts #logical #foryou #fypシ #fyp #livies
Rodrigo performed live on the Today Show to commemorate her album release. “GUTS” is out everywhere now.
