Forget a sophomore slump; Olivia Rodrigo just put out a sophomore statement.
Rodrigo released her new album earlier this month, titled “GUTS,” and many fans, including myself, were eager to see what she would do after her massive success with her debut album, “Sour,” released in 2021.
Not only did this project live up to the hype, but Rodrigo established herself as a superstar.
The album cycle kicked off earlier this summer when she released the lead single for the project, titled “Vampire.” The soft-pop song provided an extremely catchy hook with an intense ending, leaving fans wondering what kind of sound the album would bring.
The next single, “Bad Idea Right,” took fans through a complete turn. The pop-punk tune about knowing hooking up with an ex is a bad idea but doing it anyway encapsulates a feeling many young people have experienced.
Rodrigo allowed the anticipation build from there before finally sharing the album with her fans on Sept. 8.
I’m not going to lie; I was extremely nervous as I dove into the project.
My fears quickly vanished after listening to track one; I knew this album was an absolute gem. Tracks such as “All-American Bitch” and “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” hit you in the face with aggressive instrumentals and Rodrigo singing as if she were a rockstar.
I felt like on her debut, we didn’t get enough experimentation and she stuck to one sound. On this project, she played around with pop-punk more which I loved.
The tracks that feature her angelic voice over soft piano keys would make its way onto the project, however. Tracks such as “Teenage Dream” and “Making the Bed” display Rodrigo doing what she does best–making catchy love songs.
Rodrigo can make you feel like you’re in her mind and have experienced her pain, even if you’ve never been in love before.
The project is a fun listen that almost anyone can relate to. There’s never a point in the track list where I felt like she went off track of her vision or just threw in filler songs.
Taylor Swift might get all the attention and praise, but after this, I feel confident in saying nobody is making better pop music right now than Olivia Rodrigo.
