Olivia Rodrigo dodges the ‘sophomore slump’ curse with ease by releasing one of the best pop records of the year. The much anticipated ‘GUTS’ brings fans that edgy, teen angst her followers have come to love and expect. It should come as no surprise that Rodrigo’s musical genius solidifies her spot as music’s newest pop-punk sweetheart as she dominates the charts yet again. 

The 20-year-old lyrical goddess admits to putting a ton of pressure on herself during the making of her latest album. She admitted to constantly doubting herself and the lingering question if she  ‘could ever top what (she) did on SOUR.’ But fans never doubted her ability to deliver yet another masterpiece. 

The album opens with what Olivia says is ‘her favorite song she’s ever written,’ ‘All-American Bitch.’ The riotous anthem channels Courtney Love in this hole-esc track and leaves listeners wanting more. ‘Vampire’ and ‘Bad Idea, Right?’ are the two lead singles from her album, with ‘Vampire’ debuting at number one and ‘Bad Idea, Right?’ at number eight. The instant success has made her the first artist to debut singles from her first and second albums at number one. Both songs have become staples on people’s TikTok For You pages with hundreds of thousands of videos being made to each song while simultaneously taking over radio stations worldwide.

In ‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,’ the pop star showcases what she does best; capturing the true essence of what being a teenage girl in the 21st century is like. Despite the title, the song is another upbeat punk tune that explores the social awkwardness and unpreparedness she’s felt since she was seemingly shot into stardom overnight, “I laughed at the wrong time / sat with the wrong guy / Sеarchin’ “how to start a conversation?” on a website.” While I’m a huge fan of the song, my favorite since first listening is easily ‘Making the Bed.’ It’s another classic tear-jerking pop ballad from Rodrigo that exhibits her growth as both a songwriter and vocalist and makes you instantly sway along. The song, which she revealed in Interview Magazine was the hardest song for her to write on the album, reflects on the pressure and dissatisfaction that has been present since she made a name in the music industry, just two short years ago. “I got the things I wanted, it’s just not what I imagined,” she sings right before the second chorus.

Rodrigo will be pushing ‘Get Him Back!’ as the next single, which is one of the standouts on the album. The song features her trademark talk-singing verses with lyrics about a questionable ex-boyfriend and epic transitions to a melodic teen-pop chorus which is accompanied by a music video sponsored by Apple for the new iPhone 15. I can already picture the cheeky lyric-filled bridge going viral on social media, “Wanna kiss his face / With an uppercut / I wanna meet his mom / Just to tell her her son sucks.”

The 9th track on the album, ‘Love is Embarrassing,’ is a The Veronica’s-remeniscent style pop-punk tune that expresses her embarrassment with her past actions related to a former relationship. The song includes calling her ex a ‘weird second-string loser.’

‘Pretty Isn’t Pretty’ became an instant fan favorite, with Rodrigo tackling self-image issues and the pressures of trying to meet impossible beauty standards over an easy-going, mid-tempo instrumental. It’s one of the easiest listens on the album and highly recommend it to those who aren’t too keen on her typical rock-inspired anthems.

The ‘Drivers License’ singer doesn’t forget to include more heart-wrenching lullabies with ‘The Grudge,’ ‘Lacy’ and ‘Logical.’ The latter focuses on a relationship poisoned by her partner’s manipulation and her realizing the irrationality of love. “I look so stupid thinkin’ / Two plus two equals five / And I’m the love of your life / ‘Cause if rain don’t pour and sun don’t shine / Then changing you is possible,” she cries out during the final chorus.

The singer-songwriter-actress reflects on her late teens in the ballad album closer ‘Teenage Dream,’ with an explosive chant-like harmony in the last minute of the song, “They all say that it gets better / It gets better the more you grow / Yeah, they all say that it gets better / It gets better, but what if I don’t?”

The album, while not too different from ‘SOUR,’ is leaps above her debut. While a complete reinvention was never her intention, the improvement in songwriting, storytelling and vocals demonstrates Rodrigo’s tremendous growth as an artist. She continues to captivate the attention of pop lovers around the world while solidifying her growing fanbase. Pitchfork gave ‘GUTS’ an 80/100 while The New York Times called it an ‘instant classic,’ which is a large claim but undeniably deserved. 

Fans are awaiting a deluxe album, as Olivia hid extra songs across four different vinyl versions. Rodrigo has also just announced her world tour for ‘GUTS.’ Along with a special effort to release a limited amount of affordable tickets as a part of the Silver Star program, Olivia is launching ‘Fund 4 Good.’ The program supports her goal of “building an equitable and just future for all women and girls through direct support of community-based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights and prevent gender-based violence,” according to Guts’ tour’s press release. A portion of all ticket sale proceeds will be used to fund the initiative. Tickets go on sale Sept. .20-21. The lineup brings her to Arlington, Texas on March 1, 2024, with additional tour dates to be announced, as teased by Rodrigo, herself.