Last week, Olivia Rodrigo dropped her sophomore album: GUTS. And we have it on constant repeat. Here are some of our thoughts on the pop star’s latest hits:
My favorites are “all-american bitch,” “making the bed,” “get him back!” and “pretty isn’t pretty.” While I did love SOUR more than GUTS, I still love the entire album conceptually – her pop/punk aesthetic is uniquely feminine, and unapologetically so. People who hate on Olivia Rodrigo just make me love her even more; gen-z celebrities do such a good job at not caring about what the public thinks of them. I believe this is due to our collective incredible sense of humor combined with our generation’s shared love for all things unserious, and that really shows in Rodrigo’s character as well as her music. I think her lyrical quality is only going to get stronger, and it’s great to see somebody so close in age to me digest their emotions so openly – it’s a healthy reminder that all of us 20-something year-old girls aren’t alone :’).
- Bella Stewart ‘25
Olivia Rodrigo is so incredibly talented, as seen by her debut album SOUR and now her beautifully written sophomore album GUTS. Rodrigo’s songs never fail to portray the mixed feelings of being a teenager/young adult; she displays the confusion, frustration, love, and heartbreak that follows growing up. I’ve been listening to GUTS pretty much 24/7, and I think I can officially say that my favorites are “ballad of a homeschool girl” and “get him back!” because they are simply bops! I also appreciate her writing “the grudge” for all us people who don’t get over anything ever :). Overall, I think Olivia Rodrigo outdid herself with this album; she has a very bright future ahead of her, and I can’t wait to continue following her journey as a songwriter and performer.
- Allie ‘27
In my unpopular opinion, I believe GUTS is a better album, but SOUR has better songs. SOUR possesses a broader, more widespread appeal, while GUTS exhibits a greater cohesiveness as an album. The individual tracks on SOUR tend to stand independently, whereas GUTS seems purposefully designed for a seamless, continuous listening experience. With SOUR, I often revisit certain songs, whereas with GUTS, once I begin listening, it’s challenging to pause as the songs seamlessly flow into each other, leaving me contemplating whether I should hit repeat after listening to “teenage dream.”
- Emma Whitford ‘26
In the weeks leading up to “vampire” being released as a single, I will be the first to admit that I thought it was going to flop. I had a gut feeling (yes, pun intended) that the pressure of following up such a public and dramatic debut album was going to lead to a sophomore slump. But ever since I heard those opening piano notes of that first single, I knew she was going to deliver. And did she ever. I think the angsty pop punk sound of GUTS fits her voice and her personality perfectly. Compared to SOUR’s ballad-heavy tracklist, the new album varies the style enough to keep the listener wanting more and guessing what is coming next. If we haven’t sold you on listening to the whole thing yet, put on “all-american bitch,” “love is embarrassing,” and “teenage dream.” If you aren’t hooked by then: congratulations, you are more emotionally stable than I am.
- Caitlin Boyd ’24
I love Olivia Rodrigo and her first album, SOUR, was absolutely amazing. When I heard about the release of GUTS, I was super excited. I loved the two singles Olivia put out for this album: “bad idea right?” and “vampire.” However, upon first listening to the entire album I wasn’t a huge fan. I really, really wanted to love this album, so throughout the week I continued listening to GUTS, and now I can say that it has definitely grown on me. Although I think I still prefer SOUR, I really like some songs from GUTS. My favorites so far are “bad idea right?” “vampire,” “love is embarrassing,” and “pretty isn’t pretty.”
- Abby Coviello ‘26