Olivia Rodrigo, the trendy music artist, released a new album called “GUTS” on September 8th, 2023. The album has twelve songs and is a total of thirty-nine minutes long. This is her second album that didn’t come from the musical, High School Musical. Let’s now dive deeper into each of her new songs.
all-american (b*tch):
Olivia Rodrigo’s newest album begins with a killer opening: “All-American B*tch”, which is about the pressures and expectations of being a woman. Olivia “Rodrigo delves into the societal pressures and expectations imposed on women to align with the perceived ideal American standard” (SongFacts). This is definitely a song lots of people can relate to during this day and age. Olivia Rodrigo told Apple music, this is “one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written…I think it expresses…repressed anger and the feeling of confusion, trying to be put into a box as a girl.” For this song it seems like its target audience is teenage girls, or people who feel like they do not meet all-american standards.
bad idea right?:
Her second song on the “GUTS” album is “bad idea right?”. This song is about a “playful 90’s-style rocker about to reconnect with a former boyfriend”(Interview from Ellie). Of course we know that’s not the deeper meaning behind it. Another way of putting the meaning – what the song is about – is the temptations and the musing that goes through our mind when an ex tries to come back into our lives. This is another great song that teenagers can relate to, especially in this generation.
vampire:
The third song on the album is called “Vampire”. To summarize “vampire”, it’s about the depths of a toxic relationship. Olivia Rodrigo told Billboard that, “It’s just a song about feeling used, and all of the anger and regret and heartbreak that come with it”. It is a very heart-felt and emotional song, that holds so many emotions behind the lyrics.
lacy:
Lacy is the fourth song on “GUTS”, and it definitely is a twist. This song is about Olivia’s mix feeling obsession with a girl named Lacy. The emotions in this song are a roller coaster. It starts with admiration, then goes to bitterness, and finally envy. Many fans say Lacy is, “a fictional character, but some fans point to the fellow singer and actress Sabrina Carpenter.”(Ellie) This song may or may not be aimed towards someone, but there is no information to back that.
ballad of a homeschooled girl:
The fifth song of the album, “ballad of a homeschooled girl”, is about Olivia Rodrigo’s discomfort and anxiety in social situations. In the song she brings up “social suicide,” and SongFacts connected it back to the film, Mean Girls. In the film social suicide is “to describe any move that could wreck your rep”(SongFacts). This goes back to “ballad of a homeschooled girl” because in the first verse she focuses on social blunders – spilling her secrets that she shouldn’t have.
making the bed:
Sixth song of the album, “making the bed,” is Olivia’s journey of G.R.I.T. From Instagram’s interview with Olivia Rodrigo one learns, “ ‘making the bed’ [is used] as a metaphor to highlight the [I am] the one responsible for [my] own unease and discontent.” This is something many people do learn and relate to; this song definitely hit a couple of people on a personal level.
logical:
The seventh out of twelve songs on “GUTS” is called “logical.” This song talks about the crazy twists and turns of love. To dig deeper, Olivia sings about a feeling everyone has felt: “loving someone so deeply that you’re blind to all their flaws and the drama that comes with it”(SongFacts). She is explaining that love can truly mess with someone’s head, making the facts seem opinionated; tossing the logic out the window.
get him back!:
Eighth song of the album, “get him back!,” is Olivia going through a roller coaster of two emotions: passion and vengeance. It’s about the beginning, middle, and end of wanting an ex back. Olivia Rodrigo states that wanting an ex back is a “romance [that starts] off with a blast, partying hard and living it up.” Then the red flags start to become visible, in the song she talks about the eccentric friends and the wander in his eyes. Lastly, the big realization that they never change. In her song she ends it with wanting to get him back, but to leave him utterly baffled.
love is embarrassing:
The ninth song on the “GUTS” album is called, “love is embarrassing.” This song is about diving deep into regretting waiting around for someone. Olivia sings about the cringe-worthy moments that someone puts their heart on the line for, just to realize that the person wasn’t worth it. Frances Vilegas, one of our Saugus Sophomores, says this was the best song on the album because of her personal experience and it was something she could relate to. Nowadays, people will view this as a delusion.
the grudge:
Olivia’s tenth song of the album is called, “the grudge.” Olivia’s main purpose of writing this song is her background with toxic relationships. She dives deep into the characteristics of manipulation in this song in particular. Throughout the song Olivia Rodrigo empathizes the difficult journey of trying to forgive someone and the grudge that follows with it.
pretty isn’t pretty:
The eleventh song of “GUTS” is, “pretty isn’t pretty.” The main theme of this song was the ever-shifting fashion trends and beauty standards that teenage girls have to go through. Olivia Rodrigo “lists the tricks society plays on young women: makeup to look pretty, skipping lunch to stay skinny, even popping pills to manage stress”(SongFacts). It lurks into the topic of people being insecure if they are not in the new fashion trend or don’t meet the “beauty standard”.
teenage dream:
The final of twelve songs on “GUTS” is called “teenage dream”. This song is about Olivia’s reflection on the twist and turns of growing up and the sky-high expectations society has for young people. This song was a great way to end the album, it was a touching ending and it definitely will have people wanting more.
Overall, the new album, “GUTS,” from Olivia Rodrigo was a BOP. It was an album no one could resist. Lots of teenagers in our generation can relate to these songs; making this a great album.
