Kacey Miller

Olivia Rodrigo’s newest album, “GUTS” was released in September. in All 12 songs included were rated from 1-10, and attached is my favorite lyric from each song. Graphic created by Kacey Miller

Olivia Rodrigo’s new album “GUTS” has made quite a name for itself, mainly because I have to be reminded of “how good it is” every single day by my Olivia-Rodrigo-enthusiast classmates. Eventually I got so sick of hearing about it that I finally decided to listen to this “perfect album that can’t rival any other.” Although I’ve never listened to Olivia Rodrigo a day in my life, this list will cover all 12 songs in her new album, which I’ll be ranking from 1-10. With all that being said, I give you the unofficial “GUTS” album review.

• “get him back!”

This one starts out slow, but gets hot fast. While the beat may be sluggish, you can really feel the emotion she puts into her voice throughout the entirety of the song. As the title suggests, Rodrigo sings her heart out about how much she misses her ex-boyfriend, but wants her sweet revenge for the breakup. I love how you can feel how vengeful, yet heartbroken she sounds; you can almost relate to how betrayed she feels. The most interesting theme of the song is the back and forth emotions of hatred and love.

Favorite lyric: “Wanna kiss his face (but then I, I want to get him back) With an uppercut (but then I, I want to get him back) I wanna meet his mom (but then I, I want to get him back) just to tell her her son sucks”

7/10

• “lacy”

In all honesty, “lacy” doesn’t really hit home for me. While the message is there, I don’t really care all that much about the song. Don’t get me wrong, I love the message, how complicated feelings of jealousy and idolization intertwine with each other. However, you won’t see me blasting this going 65 mph down I-35 anytime soon. To summarize, sometimes we can hate what we love about others. 

Favorite lyric: “I’m losing it lately I feel your compliments like bullets on skin”

4/10

• “the grudge”

While this may not be my favorite of all time, I have to give major credit to Rodrigo. This song gave me legit chills while listening. What I love the most about this song is the way Rodrigo pours her very soul into her voice; you can even hear her getting choked up singing her own song. The message Rodrigo puts out there really stands out, about how her attachment to someone she loved won’t disappear, like she’s being drowned by it. But still, I don’t really vibe with this song all that much because the pacing just feels repetitive. It sort of seems like the same chorus over and over again until the song finally ends. Of course, though, credit where credit is due, I can tell Rodrigo put all of her heart into this song.

Favorite lyric: “And I know in my heart, hurt people, hurt people. And we both drew blood, but, man, those cuts were never equal”

5/10

• “vampire” 

This song is definitely one of my favorites in the album. The drums and the guitar that come in really seal the deal— I’m a big fan of the variety in this song. “vampire” really draws in the listener with its constant slow buildup of melody and tempo, with constant choruses to keep things interesting. Rodrigo compels the feeling of being emotionally drained by her lover, hence the name “vampire.” This lover Rodrigo sings about is described as being known for being a major red flag among her friends, but she fell for him anyway and ended up getting left behind. Although “vampire” follows the trend in this album for being slow paced, somehow it’s difficult to notice how slow it really is because of the catchiness, making for a more enjoyable listening experience. 

Favorite lyric: “‘Cause I’ve made some real big mistakes. But you make the worst one look fine. I should’ve known it was strange. You only come out at night”

7/10

• “logical”

Two plus two might equal five in this song, but if I keep listening I won’t make it out alive. Definitely not feeling this one, Its repetitive melody and lack of instrumental variety doesn’t really speak to me as much as some of the previous songs on her album do. I couldn’t really understand any main point the song was trying to make rather than how Rodrigo might’ve been misguided by another lover. Overall, this song is kind of basic, although it has some interesting wordplay here and there. But still, I would likely skip this one if it came up in my playlist.

Favorite lyric: “The sky is green, the grass is red and you mean all those words you said. I’m sure that girl is really your friend”

2/10

• “love is embarrassing”

An absolute banger. I would skip through half my playlist just to listen to this song a couple more times. I love the upbeat attitude mixed with a little bit of hysteria in Rodrigo’s voice that is captured so well throughout this song. How she sacrificed everything for a guy who was too oblivious to understand how she was feeling towards him. A cheater that Rodrigo can’t shake from her mind. I especially love the way this song draws the listener in; instantly my foot starts bouncing along to the beat, and the instrumentals are just peak. Very solid performance from “love is embarrassing.”

Favorite lyric: “I give up, give up, I give up everything I placed my bets and it’s not worth anything I give up, give up, but I keep comin’ back for more”

9/10

• “all-american b*tch”

Best described as a roller coaster. The song starts out slow but quickly becomes more upbeat before dipping back down again. Rodrigo expresses that it’s O.K. to let that ego part of you shine once in a while, to show some pride for yourself. Her tone feels sincere but wild and free at the same time, just enough to hype the listener up before calming them back down. However, I feel like the transition between upbeat and mellow could use a little work, as it feels slightly rushed to get to that chorus part. To summarize, this one’s decent. I wouldn’t skip it.

Favorite lyric: “I don’t get angry when I’m pissed, I’m the eternal optimist”

6/10

• “Bad Idea Right?”

Feels like a throwback to a 2000’s song. My favorite thing about this song is that there’s a guitar solo, which is the first time a solo appears in this album, and it’s just icing on the cake. At the beginning, you can hear a door opening followed by Rodrigo saying “hey” to someone, presumably her ex as mentioned in the song. Rodrigo sings about how seeing her ex is a bad idea, but she can’t help but reconnect with this guy even though she probably shouldn’t. Creativity aside, this song is O.K., and I think it was meant to be O.K..

Favorite lyric: “Yes I know that he’s my ex, but can’t two people reconnect? ‘I only see him as a friend,’ the biggest lie I ever said”

5/10

• “making the bed”

Another slow one, but in a better way than the previous songs. Rodrigo mainly sings about how she’s trying to change who she is, pushing away the friends that know her best and not wanting to be herself anymore. Rodrigo is shaping the story of her life; in other words, she’s making the bed. This song is definitely best to listen to late at night, just imagine yourself on a long car ride home taking in the city lights while they pass you by. In all, this song is relaxing and comforting.

Favorite lyric: “And I tell someone I love them just as a distraction. They tell me that they love me like I’m some tourist attraction”

7/10

• “teenage dream”

Another slow comforting one. Rodrigo projects how she’s tired of being someone who can be pushed around easily. Rodrigo sings about how she wants to be a better person, to be wiser and simply good. This song heavily leans on the piano to fit the slow, emotional mood of the song. “teenage dream” almost demands that the listener shed a tear because of the beauty of the song. There isn’t too much else to say since this song is basically only piano and Rodrigo’s singing, no door opening or any other sound cues or effects. But it’s a nice, slow song that warms your heart.

Favorite lyric: “They all say that it gets better, it gets better, but what if I don’t?”

6/10

•  “pretty isn’t pretty”

A pretty straight-forward song. The main issue I have with this song is how repetitive it is, with the same lyrics and sections repeating until the song’s over. Rodrigo sings about how pretty isn’t ever pretty enough for her and she feels that she could be more. But I just couldn’t get a feel for this song, mostly because it doesn’t hit all that close to home. The main message is how pretty isn’t pretty enough, but that same message just seemingly repeats itself throughout the entirety of the song. I’ll pass on this one.

Favorite lyric: “Bought a bunch of makeup, Tryna cover up my face, I started to skip lunch, Stopped eatin’ cake on birthdays”

3/10

• “ballad of a homeschool girl”

Okay, I’ll be right back. I’m going to blast this song up and down the street until I get some kind of complaint because this song slaps. Rodrigo puts so much effort and emotion in her voice to where you can physically hear her strain to get the words out. There is way too much instrumental than there should be, but I’m all for it. The way the guitar and drums start off powerful and dominating before switching back to a more subsiding volume to let Rodrigo sing is just gold, just an absolute chef’s kiss. She repeats the lyric that “its social suicide” frequently, describing the struggle of failing and failing again to find someone that she can connect with, struggling because she’s homeschooled. My favorite part is when Rodrigo starts screaming “I KNOW” louder and louder until she doesn’t even sound like she’s singing anymore. I know for a fact this song is going on my playlist after this review is over.

Favorite lyric: “I’m on the outside of the greatest inside joke”

10/10

There you have it, all 12 of Olivia Rodrigo’s songs in her new “GUTS” album. This album turned out to be more enjoyable than I gave it credit for initially, which goes to show that I was wrong for doubting her talents. I love how clever Rodrigo is, with the small details within her music that tell a story for the listener. I would like to apologize if I rated your favorite song poorly, but the list is final. No take backs.