It wouldn’t be outrageous to say that Olivia Rodrigo is the most exciting pop star in the world right now, and the hype around her forthcoming sophomore album, “Guts”, couldn’t have been bigger. , the 20-year-old singer has turned in her second blockbuster smash. It’s another heartbreak-fuelled pop record with a similar amount of unabashed emotion. But Rodrigo’s follow up album also incorporates musical elements inspired by her admiration for 90s and 2000s rock heroes like Katheen Hanna and Jack White as well as her background as a theatre kid.
With a debut like SOUR, the expectations were high—but Rodrigo completely shattered all of them. Lead single “Vampire” was daring and theatrical, a grand evolution for the singer who defied all odds with the record-breaking “drivers license” two years ago.
Her second single, “bad idea right?,” was another top-tier entry by Rodrigo, who is fully tapping into 1990s pop-rock with effortless finesse. “Guts” has cemented her sonic trademark as an instructive vessel of relentless catchiness. The “my brain goes, ‘ah’” chorus in “bad idea right?” will stick with you, as will the rest of this collection. The construction throughout is melodical to an unfathomable degree.
The aptly-titled “love is embarrassing,” a standout track. Rodrigo explains her romantic re-evaluation in the line, “Just watch as I crucify myself/ For some weird second string loser who’s not worth mentioning.” There’s plenty to extract about Rodrigo’s songwriting in just this single line: “Crucify” is her verb of choice (very dramatic), “Weird second string loser” is how she describes her crush (genuinely funny), the chorus it lands in is full of bright guitars and a motorik, New Wave-style beat at its best.
Olivia Rodrigo is on top of the world right now, and there’s no way she falls anytime soon.
The Fat Angel Sings 