Olivia Rodrigo initially gained recognition in 2020 when she released her debut single “drivers license.” As this beloved artist became increasingly popular, fans became eager for a new album since the release of the album SOUR, which contained “drivers license.” On June 26, Rodrigo’s webstore revealed the title and release date for her new album GUTS.
“My sophomore album GUTS comes out September 8th. I am so proud of this record and I can’t wait to share it with you all! U can presave it now! Xoxoxoxo,” Rodrigo posted on her Twitter account.
After the exciting wait for her second album, GUTS spilled a diverse list of 12 songs filled with teenage angst, coming of age issues, and complex relationships at a young age.
One of the most popular songs, “Vampire,” gained unexpected popularity because fans made a theory claiming the song was about Taylor Swift because of tension between the artists. Rodrigo responded saying she will not state who the song was about because she does not like to “pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing.”
Rodrigo also shared her insight as to what GUTS is about and the overall tone of the album.
“For me, this album is about growing pains and trying to figure out who I am at this point in my life. I feel like I grew 10 years between the ages of 18 and 20 — it was such an intense period of awkwardness and change. I think that’s all just a natural part of growth, and hopefully, the album reflects that,” Rodrigo explained in a statement.
Rodrigo wrote these songs during drastic changes in her life, as she matures and continues to grow and understand adult life.
“I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth, a year that, for me, was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness and good old-fashioned teen angst,” Rodrigo wrote in a note to fans.
The fan theories continue to grow as the song “The Grudge” fed into the “feud” between Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift. As the melodic piano harmonies accompany Rodrigo’s voice, she talks about a betrayal of some sort between a person she has admired for a long time. The singer also admits that she doesn’t feel strong enough to forgive this person who betrayed her so easily.
Other songs on the album include similar themes, such as feeling exploited in the industry, love affairs gone wrong, and how self-worth is hard to find.
Not surprisingly, Olivia Rodrigo announced her first World Tour on Sept. 12, to which fans responded with high enthusiasm, eager to see the singer perform in this new era of her career.
Olivia Rodrigo has brought a new punk-filled, 2000s inspired album filled with songs that will make you feel exhilarated but also help navigate you through different stages of life. GUTS is just a preview of this fresh era of pop-punk music that Rodrigo has mastered and will continue to influence.
