Mixologist

The Disney Channel pipeline strikes again!

2023 saw the return of pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo with her second album, “GUTS”. Following the smash success that was “SOUR” led by viral hits like “drivers license,” Rodrigo had a lot to prove when it came not only to her star power but her staying power as well. And in my opinion, she proved it.

This album is just catchy. From the mock innocence on “bad idea right?” to the singsong chorus of “get him back!” to the mach ten speed of “love is embarrassing,” the hits for me just pile in one after another. This doesn’t mean the whole project is this fast-paced, though; Rodrigo takes a few opportunities to strip things back and let her words take center stage on tracks like “lacy,” which personifies the idea of the “ideal woman” a lot of modern society seems to hold.

Rodrigo’s lyrics perfectly encapsulate the state of being young in America. The pressure to succeed, the constant comparison of ourselves with our peers through social media, the challenge of finding love amongst all the noise we’re succumbed to daily. “ballad of a homeschooled girl” talks a lot about the general social anxiety that comes with going out and being with people. While I was neither homeschooled nor am I a girl, there’s still a lot of sentiments on this and many of the other tracks I can identify with as someone who was her age not that long ago.

On the production end, Dan Nigro comes through with some rocking drums and guitar and helps elevate Olivia’s voice even more with some incredible vocal harmonies and mixing. So many of these songs are perfect for windows-down car rides or just to have on around the house. I go back and forth, but I think my favorite as of now would have to be “get him back!” with “love is embarrassing” and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” not too far behind.

I know I’m not the primary audience for an album like this, but I still think there’s a lot to love and appreciate about it. I find myself relating to a lot of her comments on comparison and the difficulty of being a young adult in today’s world. Olivia Rodrigo proved with this album that this is no sophomore slump; I’m beyond excited to see how she elevates her sound in the future.