Grammy winning pop punk singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo recently announced her return to making music, after a nearly two year hiatus. Her single “Vampire” drops June 30. Fans who purchased early merchandise ahead of the track’s release were finding random letter stickers mixed into the packaging of their CDs and Vinyls. After days of fans attempting to unscramble the letters, Rodrigo finally took to her social media to confirm that the title would be “Guts,” and the full album will be released on September 8.
View this post on Instagram
Rodrigo revealed that she collaborated with producer Dan Nigro on the project. Nigro previously worked with the singer on her debut album, “SOUR.” Recording was split between Los Angeles and New York, and the singer confirmed that she finished most of production while she was 19.
Olivia Rodrigo on her upcoming album ‘GUTS.’
“I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth. A year that, for me, was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness & good old fashioned teen angst.” pic.twitter.com/529mJCZNW1
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 26, 2023
Fan Reactions
Many fans of the singer expressed excitement at her much anticipated return to music. Some sense that based on her description of the songwriting process that went into “Guts”, the album will serve as a continuation of “SOUR” and detail her healing process after the heartbreak she once wrote about.
We will all be streaming
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) June 26, 2023
i think it’s a continuation to sour
sour was about the feeling of heartbreak but guts is about healing and moving on— mey loved in the 21st century ???? (@EMAlLSICANTSEND) June 26, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
Others criticized the purple color palette of the album cover, believing it to be too similar to that of her debut album. However, some pointed out that if the two albums do serve as sister albums, the minor similarities in aesthetic could be intentional, similar to the creative direction of Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” and “Evermore” albums.
She just recycled SOUR, im crying???? Its the same concept
— MR NUNSTALGIA (@MIKELlPA) June 26, 2023
She just knows that she doesn’t have to completely reinvent everything for each album. Not every artist wants to change everything to mark a ‘new era’
— SHECARGO (@SHECARGO123) June 26, 2023
The Theories
In honor of the announcement, the singer also shared new merchandise for the album on her official website. Leading up to the announcement, the singer has been teasing “Twilight” themed content. The lead single being named “Vampire” even prompted “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner to comment on her single announcement.
@livbedumb one week till vampire hehe ????????????
Given the 2010s vampire genre pop culture references, fans suspect a celebrity cameo in an upcoming music video. “Twilight” notably brought alternative rock music to a younger audience, leading others to suspect that Rodrigo’s new album will lean more into rock music.
ADVERTISEMENT
@kaiyaolsen Replying to @lexi! HELLO??? #oliviarodrigo #or2 #vampireoliviarodrigo #oliviarodrigovampire
The singer listed a phone number for fans to call to hear a snippet of “Vampire” on the other line. At first, the sound was a dramatic, gothic piano. Now, fans hear an energetic electric guitar riff. The comments are drawing comparisons to Harry Styles’ track “Only Angel”, which similarly opens with a more orchestral sound and transitions into a classic rock style track.
Rodrigo has not confirmed whether she is collaborating with any of the original “Twilight” cast, or if the album has any featured artists. While they wait, fans can feel it in their guts that it will be a hit come September.
