The Disney child actor-to-Pop star pipeline has been thriving since the late 1990s. From Mouseketeers from The All-New Mickey Mouse Club like Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears in the early 1990s to Disney Channel stars like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato in the 2000s and 2010s, Disney has been pumping out Pop music icons through its child-centered content for almost 35 years. Olivia Rodrigo is the latest Pop star to emerge on a Disney Channel show in recent history. After initially getting her start as a part of the show Bizaardvark(which weirdly also starred Jake Paul), Olivia Rodrigo rose to prominence as a member of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series from 2019-2022. While she was a member of this show, Olivia Rodrigo started making solo music on the side, releasing her debut single ‘drivers license’ at the beginning of 2021. This song was immediately an international success, propelling her to a level of superstardom that greatly eclipsed any attention she had previously been getting as an actress. She followed this up with the singles ‘deja vu’ and ‘good 4 U,’ which both achieved the same level of success as her debut single. With these three tracks, she was the first artist ever to have her first two singles debut in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, as well as the first artist to have three songs from her debut album become number one on that list. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, SOUR, was acclaimed by critics and fans alike. This record was praised for its diversity in sound, cohesiveness, and raw angst and energy. When I personally first listened to it, I loved how much Olivia’s passion was on display, and it made me feel like a rebellious teenager again. Olivia Rodrigo has recently returned with her sophomore record GUTS. After how well-loved SOUR was, there are very high expectations for this record, and it is exciting to see if Olivia Rodrigo can do it again and cement herself as a generational talent. With that being said, here is how I feel about Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about GUTS as a whole.

Olivia Rodrigo has always been very outspoken about her love for Taylor Swift; the opening track on GUTS shows off that appreciation. ‘all-american bitch’ starts with a soft Country-Pop sound that reminds me a lot of Taylor’s early music. I could literally see this section of the instrumental being on albums like Speak Now and Fearless. The hook of this song takes on the Pop-Punk energy that Olivia showed she loved so much on SOUR. This hook is driven by a distorted Alternative Rock guitar riff and a drum beat that reminds me of the early 2000s. The section of the song makes me think of Green Day when I hear it. I love how the instrumental keeps going back and forth from delicate and slow to tough and fast. This instrumental keeps the listener on their toes because of how fast the transitions are. Olivia’s vocal performance on this song is great, as it matches the individual sections of the song. During the slower sections, her vocals are relaxed and pleasant; in the faster sections, her vocals are more forceful, almost taking on a shouting element at times. On ‘all-american bitch,’ Olivia Rodrigo is stating that she knows who she is. She seems to be totally in tune with who she has become as a woman; she is okay with those things about her that make her tick, whether they are good or bad. ‘bad idea right?’ was the second single released before this record came out. When this track came out, it seemed to get a polarizing reaction; some people absolutely love it and others think it is corny. To be honest, I think the reason that some people think it is corny is because it is not meant for them. ‘bad idea right?’ is meant to be tongue-in-cheek and silly; that is the driving mentality behind the song. This track is meant by a Funky Pop-Rock riff that has a 1990s Alternative Rock feeling to it. The guitar riff that drives this song, which is heavily distorted, reminds me of Skate-Punk bands from the 1990s like Rancid or Social Distortion. It has such an LA skater feeling to it, which is probably the music Olivia grew up listening to through her parents in Southern California. The way the drums are played is so brash and audacious, matching the energy of the guitar riff. Olivia’s vocal performance on this song is great. She talks the lyrics during the verses, with the filter being put on her voice having a megaphone quality to it. During the hook, she shout-sings the lyrics in a way that fits perfectly with the instrumental. On ‘bad idea, right?’ Olivia is singing about hooking up with an ex when she knows she shouldn’t. Even though seeing this person could be bad for her in the long run, she decides that she needs to have fun when she wants to have fun. ‘vampire’ was the first song released in anticipation of this record. This is the kind of theatrical and grand Pop song that Olivia proved she could excel at on her first record(it particularly reminds me of ‘deja vu’). The instrumental for ‘vampire’ is driven by a warm, elegant piano riff, which is complemented as the song goes on by various synths and string instruments that make the song feel larger and fuller as it progresses. The first quarter of this song has no beat, with an almost show-tune-esque snare and hi-hat-driven beat coming in after the first verse. Like the melody, the beat gets bigger and more striking as the song progresses. Olivia Rodrigo shows off her vocal range on this track. She hits all of the high notes on this song with such power, adding to the spirit of the song. On ‘vampire,’ Olivia is singing about an awful relationship she was in with someone who only wanted her because she was famous. This person has drained her mentally, taking away the joyous nature that she used to have. ‘lacy’ is another song that feels heavily inspired by Taylor Swift. This song takes on the Folk-Pop sound that Taylor has shown an affinity for on her last couple of records. The melody of this track is driven by a bright Acoustic guitar riff complemented by synths that start off sounding clean and pick up distortion as the song moves along. I like how the song gains distortion in the way that it does, as it makes the song feel more intense and bold as this distortion comes in. Similar to ‘vampire,’ Olivia demonstrates how wide her vocal range is on ‘lacy.’ I like how the vocals are layered at certain points in the track, as it makes the song feel so full and lush. On ‘lacy,’ Olivia is singing about her jealousy of a girl she knows she feels is more beautiful than her. She thinks everything about this girl is great, and knows she can not be like her as much as she tries.

‘ballad of a homeschool girl’ brings back the Punk-Rock energy that we got at the beginning of the record. Like ‘bad idea, right?’ This song seems heavily inspired by the late 1990s Skate-Punk music she probably grew up listening to with her parents. This song kind of fuses the Pop-Punk sound of artists like Green Day or Sum 41 and the Skate-Punk from artists like Rancid or Bad Religion. I can also hear a bit of Weezer in this track as well. I love the heavy amount of distortion on the guitar riff and drum beat(which both have such a gleaming and fun energy to them), as it makes the song feel so brash and harsh in the best way. Olivia Rodrigo’s vocal performance on this song is as distorted as the instrumental, making it match the energy of the instrumental so awesomely. In ‘ballad of a homeschool girl,’ Olivia is singing about how she feels awkward in social situations and always feels like she is embarrassing herself. She feels like she always has her foot in her mouth and never makes the right decisions. ‘making the bed’ takes inspiration from another kind of late 1990s Pop-Rock music. Instead of being inspired by the Punk bands of that time, this one sounds influenced by Adult Contemporary Alternative bands like The Verve or Oasis. This song also has a major Taylor Swift feeling to it. The melody is driven by a bright and stirring guitar riff and piano riff that is put on top of an easy-going Pop-Rock drum beat. The melody is complemented by blaring, distorted synths, though, giving the song an ultra-modern feel. This track feels current and retro at the same time because of these synths. Olivia Rodrigo shows off power and emphasis in her vocals on ‘making the bed’ which adds to the impassioned feeling of the song. The instrumental for this song already has a melancholy and dramatic feeling, and Olivia’s vocals add to this feeling. In ‘making the bed,’ Olivia is singing about how she is not happy with who she has become or with the people she has surrounded herself with. She feels like she is not being her true self, and is sick of pretending to fit in. ‘logical’ keeps the soft and melancholy tone that the last song had. These songs have very similar melodies, which makes the transition between the two tracks so smooth. ‘logical’ has a lot more of a stripped-back sound than ‘making the bed,’ though. This instrumental almost sounds like a Folk-Pop version of the one that precedes it. The instrumental is driven by a piano riff and is complemented by an acoustic guitar and distorted synths that come in and out. The synths and guitar riff that pop up every so often in the instrumental make it feel intense at points; I appreciate this a lot, as it gives the song so much texture. Olivia Rodrigo’s vocals on ‘logical’ are delicate and dainty, making the song feel so poignant. The high notes that she hits on this track are excellent, helping this already touching track feel even more than way. On ‘logical,’ Olivia Rodrigo is singing about falling in love with someone who ended up manipulating her in the worst way. She doesn’t know why she ever had and still has feelings for this person because they treated her so wrongly. ‘get him back!’ goes back to the retro Alternative Rock that Olivia has shown a major affinity for on this record. Like multiple songs before it, this one feels heavily inspired by bands like Green Day, Sum 41, or even Beck. ‘get him back!’ is driven by a chunky and distorted guitar riff that has so much attitude; it is the kind of riff that makes you scrunch your faces and bob your head when you hear it. This riff is put on a fun Pop-Rock drum beat that makes the song very fun to dance around to. Olivia raps the verses on this track and shout-sings on the chorus. This vocal delivery fits the attitude of the instrumental so well. This is the kind of song I could see making a club or a party get raucous because of how easy and fun it is to sing along to. On ‘get him back!’ Olivia is singing about wanting to get revenge on the boy who has hurt her so badly, which is something everyone can relate to.

‘love is embarrassing’ is another song that is inspired by 2000s Pop-Punk music. This song is inspired by a different type of Pop-Punk music than we have seen to this point, though. Instead of sounding like Green Day or Sum 41, this one sounds more like Paramore or Boys Like Girls. The song is driven by a light and fun Pop-Rock guitar riff that is put on a fast drum beat that gives the song such dance-around-your-room energy. There is an element of this track that makes me think of Taylor Swift as well. The way the instrumental is mixed as well as the funny way in which Olivia delivers the lyrics on this track are very reminiscent of early Taylor Swift music. I especially love the vocals at the end of the track, where Olivia almost shrieks her vocals at some points. Like the song that precedes it, ‘love is embarrassing’ would be perfect for a bar or a party because of how fun it is to sing and jump around to. In ‘love is embarrassing,’ Olivia is singing about falling in love and doubting that she is good enough. She does not want to experience the heartbreak she has gone through before and is not feeling good about herself in general, and this song perfectly encapsulates those feelings. ‘the grudge’ returns to the semi-acoustic Pop sound that Olivia is so good at. This song is driven by a warm piano riff and electric guitar riff that are complemented at times by large, distorted synths. The moments of the song where the synths come in give the song so much prominence and make it feel all-encompassing. Olivia Rodrigo’s vocal performance on this song is graceful yet dynamic. She toes the line between sounding commanding and fragile perfectly, making this song feel so dramatic. On ‘the grudge,’ Olivia is singing about the aforementioned manipulative relationship she was in. She gets the listener to understand how hurt she was in this relationship. ‘pretty isn’t pretty’ is a track that takes on a Pop-Rock sound we have not heard from Olivia to this point. This song has a sound that feels like a cross between Yacht Rock and Goth Rock. I can hear the influence of artists like The Cure or Smashing Pumpkins, but I can also hear the inspiration of artists like Steely Dan or Rupert Holmes. This song is driven by an easy-going guitar riff with a Goth tint to it that is put on a relaxing drum beat that makes the song perfect for any kickback. Towards the end of the track, some distortion comes onto the guitar riff and the drums, giving the song a bit of the Punk feeling that Olivia loves so much. To be honest, ‘pretty isn’t pretty’ probably has the most underwhelming vocal performance from Olivia on this record. That is honestly okay, though, because the instrumental is super mellow and nice, so these understated vocals fit the energy of the song well. On ‘pretty isn’t pretty,’ Olivia is singing about how she never feels good enough. She is always comparing herself to everyone else and sees things in them that she wants to see in herself. Olivia closes GUTS on a soft and sad note with the song ‘teenage dream.’ Most of this song has an Acoustic Pop sound, being driven by a desolate-sounding piano riff that will make anyone emotional when they hear it. Towards the end of the track, various string instruments, synths, and a drum beat come in, giving the song a grand Pop-Rock feeling. The end of this track gives an all-encompassing and ultimate climax, helping the album end on a grand and striking note. Olivia’s vocals on this track are sweet yet dynamic. She embodies the feeling of the instrumental and lyrics in a way that is so palpable and relatable. On ‘teenage dream,’ Olivia reflects on how she has never felt like she fits in with people her age because of the complexity of growing up in the spotlight the way she did. She does not feel accepted for who she is, and wants to know when people will treat her as a grown human instead of treating her like a mature child star. ‘teenage dream’ is a phenomenal way to end this record, as it brings the rollercoaster of emotions that GUTS is to a melancholy and compelling close.

Going into the release of her sophomore record, there were a lot of expectations on Olivia Rodrigo to deliver something great. Her debut record SOUR was universally acclaimed, and people expected her to be able to do it again. I am so pleased to say that Olivia Rodrigo completely delivered with her album GUTS. She improved in every single facet of her artistry on this record, which is so tough to do. Sonically and lyrically, Olivia Rodrigo shows a maturity that is not only rare among artists her age but rare among artists in general. Olivia Rodrigo shows an affinity for the music that is clear she loves and wears her influences on her sleeve but modernizes these sounds to make them sound fresh and palatable in 2023. GUTS cements Olivia Rodrigo as a generational Pop star; she is setting the bar very high for the rest of the artists at the top of the game right now. GUTS is one of the best albums(if not the best album) of 2023, and it proves that Olivia Rodrigo is a new queen in Pop music.

BEST TRACKS – ‘all-american bitch,’ vampire,’ ‘lacy,’ ‘ballad of a homeschool girl,’ ‘logical,’ ‘get him back!’ ‘love is embarassing,’ ‘pretty isn’t pretty,’ ‘teenage dream’

8.98/10