Gen Z's It Girl: Dissecting Olivia Rodrigo's "GUTS (spilled)"
Olivia Rodrigo first made her way onto the pop girl scene in 2021, with the release of her smash hit drivers license, an emotional piano ballad longing for a past relationship. The debut album that followed, SOUR, was one of the most talked about records of the year and a moment in pop culture. Being 17 during the creation of the record, Olivia was clearly still finding her footing as an artist, and was constantly being compared to other performers, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Lorde, all of whom Olivia herself cited as inspiration.
When it came time for Olivia’s next big project, many were left wondering whether she would manage to beat the “sophomore slump.” The sophomore slump is a music term used to describe the drop in success and quality many artists have with their second album after they fail to live up to the greatness of their debut. When an artist has a successful debut, all eyes are on them for their sophomore album, and some artists, unfortunately, trip and fall. Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album GUTS on the 8th of September 2023, so did it overcome the sophomore slump?
The short answer: yes. On this record, Olivia more heavily leans into the angsty-teenage-punk-rock we see snippets of on SOUR through songs like brutal, good 4 u, and jealousy, jealousy. It is this sound that has led people to refer to Olivia as a modern day Avril Lavine. The album opens with all-american bitch, a song that perfectly captures female rage, and employs the classic bait-and-switch Olivia is so good at. During the verses, she sings with a sweet sing-song tone. When the chorus hits, she finally lets loose and reveals how she’s really feeling. It continually builds until she explodes in the bridge and starts screaming. It’s a satire song that discusses the perfect and impossible expectations society holds female celebrities (or just women in general) to.
The opening track leads straight into bad idea right?, in which Olivia goes back to an old ex even though she knows damn well it’s a bad idea. This song, to put it simply, is fun. While the lyrics are sharp and witty, the production (by Dan Nigro) is what really stands out. vampire, like the lead single before it, is a piano ballad. Except this song is almost like the darker, more mature older sister of drivers license. In the song, Olivia compares being in a relationship with an older man who’s emotionally manipulative to being with a vampire. The song is rife with metaphors:
“I should’ve known it was strange, you only come out at night. I used to think I was smart, but you made me look so naive. The way you sold me for parts, as you sunk your teeth into me. Bloodsucker, famef*cker. Bleeding me dry like a Goddamn vampire.”
- Vampire, Olivia Rodrigo
The piano ballad is immediately followed up with a guitar ballad. lacy is one of the more ambiguous songs of the album. The melodies and vocals are soft, but the lyrics are scathingly passive aggressive. She simultaneously admires and loathes this Lacy. So many of us have that one person we hate for no reason other than we envy them and want to be them, but not many people are willing to admit that. Jealousy is an ugly emotion, but Olivia is never afraid to shy away from it and be honest. ballad of a homeschooled girl is the most perfect representation I have ever seen for social awkwardness. This song is painfully relatable. “I broke a glass, I tripped and fell. I told secrets I shouldn’t tell. I stumbled over all my words. I made it weird, I made it worse” - that is literally the story of my life. Like bad idea right?, this song is just so much fun. It is the representation that people with social anxiety deserve.
making the bed is one of the more vulnerable songs of the record. It perfectly captures those ruts you get stuck in from time to time where life just feels exhausting and nothing feels right, but no matter what you do, you can’t seem to fix it. For the first time, Olivia touches on fame in her lyrics, comparing herself to a “tourist attraction.” This song is well-written and well said. The next track is logical. The lyrics describe being in a relationship with someone who is manipulative and toxic. Olivia discusses being gaslit and made to feel small by this person; she was confused and disoriented to the point of throwing all logic out the window. Sonically, it’s not one of my favourites, but it is lyrically stunning. Particularly the bridge.
get him back! is the good 4 u of this record. Both have the same snarky and sarcastic energy. The verses are essentially spoken as she lists off all the red flags she blissfully ignored. The chorus has a clever double meaning; she wants to get him back, as in get revenge, but she also wants to get him back, as in get back together. We go right from one pop bop to the other, from get him back! to love is embarrassing, in which Olivia discusses the things she’s done for love, or, as she so elegantly puts it, “for some weird second-string loser who’s not worth mentioning.” I love Olivia’s vocal performance on this track, it’s what makes it so fun.
Perhaps the biggest emotional gut-punch of the record comes on the grudge. Olivia discusses a time she was deeply betrayed by someone she trusted, so much so that she isn’t yet at the point of forgiveness, and is still holding onto a grudge. The context of this betrayal is never explicitly stated, which has left this song quite open to interpretation. pretty isn’t pretty is a vulnerable song in which Olivia opens up about the unrealistic beauty standards of this day and age; it’s a deep dive into her insecurities surrounding her appearance. This is such an important song to include on the album, especially considering so many young girls and teenagers will listen to it. It is, unfortunately, relatable for many.
The standard edition of the record closes with teenage dream. Because Olivia spent her first album documenting her experience as a teenager, her brand became closely associated with being this generation’s teenage it girl. The song touches on the pressure that has come with being placed on a pedestal. She worries that SOUR was her peak, and she will never see that kind of success again. It ends the album on a melancholic note, unlike SOUR, which ended with the bittersweet hope ur ok.
“I’ll blow out the candles, happy birthday to me. Got your whole life ahead of you, you’re only 19. But I fear that they already got all the best parts of me, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream.”
- teenage dream, Olivia Rodrigo
Over six months after the release of GUTS, on March 22nd, Olivia released the deluxe edition, GUTS (spilled), which included five new songs, including obsessed. This is, in my opinion, the strongest of the new additions. This pop-rock influenced song has Olivia take on the persona of a stereotypical crazy, clingy, and overbearing girlfriend as she obsesses over her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend. It’s another one of those songs where the vocal delivery and production work hand in hand. In the next deluxe song, girl i’ve always been, Olivia explores a new folk/country inspired sound. Many have been quick to point out it’s reminiscent of a Lucy Gray song, and coincidentally, Olivia’s Can’t Catch Me Now was written for the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes film. Throughout the song, Olivia plays a character of a woman who toys with men’s hearts just for the fun of it. Again, her vocal delivery is rather unique, and part of what makes the song so interesting. My only complaint is how short this song is. Although it’s a good song, it almost feels half-baked because of how quickly it’s over.
scared of my guitar is perhaps the most clever song concept on Olivia’s discography. She’s stuck in a relationship with someone who is perfectly nice and treats her well, so she doesn’t know why she feels as bad as she does. Deep down, she knows she’s lying to herself when she says she’s in love with this person. She’s scared to pick up her guitar because she knows if she does, the truth will come pouring out of her and she won’t be able to ignore it any longer.
“I’m so scared of my guitar. ‘Cause it cuts right through to the heart. Yeah, it knows me too well, so I got no excuse. I can’t lie to it the same way that I lie to you.”
- scared of my guitar, Olivia Rodrigo
It’s a song that summarises what it’s like to be a songwriter. For so many songwriters, sitting down with their guitar or piano and writing a song is their therapy. It’s a release of emotions and a means of figuring out their thoughts in the same way that writing in a journal is for others. That’s why Olivia can’t pick up her guitar, because she knows if she does, she’ll end up writing a song about how she isn’t really in love with the person she’s so desperately trying to convince herself she’s in love with. Which is what ended up happening.
stranger is one of the more hopeful and optimistic songs Olivia has put out. It’s about that moment when you realise you’ve finally moved on from a situation. In Olivia’s case, she’s now fully gotten over an ex. The hook summarises the entire song nicely, “you’re just a stranger I know everything about.” The vagueness of the chorus allows the listener to apply the song to whatever circumstance, be it an estranged relative, an ex best friend, or a past relationship like Olivia. The deluxe tracks finish with so american, the first ever love song on Olivia’s discography. Considering most if not all of Olivia’s songs are sad and melancholic, it’s a nice change of pace to get such a happy, bubbly song. The energy is infectious; it’s almost as if you can hear her smile as she’s singing. You can feel the love exuding out of her. With that, the record comes full circle: opening with all-american bitch, and ending with so american.
One distinction from this release in comparison to SOUR is the lack of Taylor Swift’s influence, and I think the distancing of herself from Taylor was a deliberate decision on Olivia’s behalf. Throughout the SOUR era, Olivia was known for proudly calling herself a Swiftie and publicly discussing how much of a creative inspiration Taylor was to her. Because of this, she was labelled “the next Taylor Swift.” She was continually being referred to things such as “Taylor Swift’s protégé,” and “this generation’s Taylor Swift.” While at first Olivia most likely found this to be flattering, I imagine she realised quite quickly she shot herself in the foot. I think she realised putting herself in Taylor’s gigantic shadow and setting herself up to be a direct competitor of Taylor’s was not a good business decision, even if it was done unintentionally. She needed to separate her identity as an artist from Taylor, and that’s exactly what she did.
In this new album cycle, Olivia has been radio silent on all things Taylor Swift. Not only that, Taylor’s influence is now hardly present in Olivia’s music and in the way she presents her public image. This is the best thing Olivia could have done for her career; she’s now establishing her own identity and persona as an artist, which is crucial for anyone who wants to thrive in the music industry. When the cover for GUTS was first released, fans were quick to notice that Olivia was straying away from reinvention. It’s almost an expectation at this point for female artists in particular that when they start a new album cycle, they have to completely switch up their style and sound, and essentially reinvent themselves. Ironically enough, Taylor Swift is an artist who has become especially known for this. But for GUTS, Olivia pretty much kept the same aesthetics and colour palette from SOUR. In doing this, she was able to further establish her brand as an artist.
Olivia is well on her way to becoming the quintessential Gen Z artist. Her style, her aesthetic, and her lyrics are all representative of the generation she grew up in. There’s an unseriousness to many of her songs, which aligns with Gen Z’s laid-back, “don’t take life too seriously” attitude. One thing I feel people don’t give Olivia enough credit for is how funny she is. This album has so many witty and funny lines. So please, enjoy this appreciation list I made for what are, in my opinion, the funniest lyrics on GUTS:
When the SOUR era wrapped up, because of how big a success it was, I was curious to see how Olivia would approach her next record. Living up to a successful album is never an easy feat, but Olivia certainly made it look easy. While GUTS may not have had the commercial hit singles SOUR did, it is arguably the stronger album lyrically and sonically. I love that I’ve gotten to watch Olivia grow and change as an artist from the very beginning (I remember watching her on Bizaardvark, and later, HSMTMTS), and I cannot wait to see which direction she chooses to go in next.