Olivia Rodrigo Guts got Issues

Olivia Rodrigo dropped Guts and it's got issues! This album is technically good but lacks ID and it feels like a huge cop-out. Mainly because Rodrigo relies on the Sour formula too much on this LP/era. And what's more perplexing is how everyone is praising this album like the next coming! You can tell from the reviews and the think pieces on this album that Olivia is an industry darling.
#OliviaRodrigo #tinydesk #snl

[@martinasurr]

Completely agree with everything you said. Her artistry needs humbling to grow, but it seems like the industry and critics don’t want to challenge her, if that makes sense. I feel like she had it easy from the start, so “failures” through her career could actually help her break her limits. Even the biggest artists had their “low” moments.

[@viktoravarkonyi4570]

I liked guts. Not everything has to be innovative and new and super mature. I wanted more like sour and it was just that. It described the feelings of still being jealous and making mistakes and being angry at the world and being insecure and feeling like you have to grow up, but don't want to yet. She feels like she writes songs about her feelings and for those people who share these feelings and not for the fame.

[@Mtv20O1]

Wow, I have yet to hear someone else share similar opinions that I had when I first listened to Guts. I definitely agree with a lot of your points! While I do think Guts was slightly more carefully crafted compared to Sour, it is not an album that I thought deserved so much praise. It lacks originality and like you said, identity. Most of the songs appeared to have her influences splattered on them, both lyrically and musically. I honestly do not know what an "Olivia Rodrigo sound" is. It almost seems as if she is "acting" the part of liking pop punk instead of actually being into the genre. I do have to say I was a fan of her before she released drivers license and she always made music that was the complete opposite of pop punk, it was all pop or indie ballads. While I do think her parents' music taste influenced her, I feel like she mainly went into that scene because she noticed how catering into that genre would fit that "teenage angst" that she branded herself with. As you said in the video, she continues to have the same awareness as she did in Sour which is the standard for someone her age. It confused me how much she herself has claimed being put on a pedestal stool for being being "so mature" when I feel like she very much acts younger than her age and that is shown in Guts. She continues to execute this "bratty teenager" persona. She is writing about being a homeschooled high schooler when she is 19/20 and even her promotion of this album was very childish (esp when they had her in childlike pjs looking at a yearbook in her bedroom which is rather interesting). It could possibly be her label wanting to continue to brand her as a teen star. It just all seems off however, after viewing your video, it seems as if that was the goal. She wanted to finally release all that childish angst that she tried to repress being treated so mature on set. I understand why so many parents expected a kid friendly performer for her tour because yes, she curses and occasionally sings about sex, but she has catered so much into this teenage persona that its confusing when she claims to be mature when her lyrical content does not execute it. I just wonder how she will steer away from that for her third album when she will be well into her 20s. She will not be able to use this formula of teenage angst and brattiness that she has used for Sour and Guts. I think she will go into a good girl gone bad type of trope to shift from her teenage era into a more grown up version (similar to Mileys bangerz era) especially since she is trying to use her sex appeal more on stage (which is kind of weird to see because she looks so young but she is a grown woman now lolol).
I do think for a project that was meant to be a continuation of Sour, it is alright. I have always seen Sour as freshman and sophomore year of HS and Guts was junior and senior of HS. I can see why a ton of people can relate to it. It is nostalgic for many due to the sound and themes. Everyone loves the early 2000s and teenage angst which she perfectly captures in her music and marketing. I think for a sophomore album it is decent and I don't necessarily think it needed to be innovative or too drastically different than her debut. If she wants to remain at the top though, she will need to switch it up for OR3. I am with you on feeling slightly bitter that she is getting so much praise despite her work not necessarily being the best. She is being called the savior of pop music even though there are tons of more amazing artists especially black and brown artists who have an ounce of success she has but that in itself is an entirely other topic lol. Either way, loved this video it makes me feel less alone because everyone and their sister loved this album but it was not for me lol.

[@bez2215]

Why don’t you post more? Your takes are more insightful than most channels. It’s getting boring out here girl

[@phillinsogood]

The album was a repeat of her debut 🫠