Breakup season came to a perfect close with the release of Olivia Rodrigo’s much-anticipated sophomore album, GUTS, which finally debuted on Sep. 8, 2023. This album is a follow-up to her 2021 release, SOUR, which topped charts in the United States and enhanced her status from Disney Channel star to growing pop icon.
Before SOUR, Rodrigo’s music broke through from her role in Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and from there many fans were eager for her possible solo projects. She seemed to win over many with her debut album and its lead singles, “Driver’s License” and “Good 4 U,” which both hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 2021. While both SOUR and GUTS take on similar messages when it comes to breakups and self-awareness, GUTS shares a unique view of the struggles many young adult women face, specifically if you are at the very confusing age of 19.
Along with other fans, I have noticed that SOUR and GUTS complement one another very playfully, especially through Rodrigo’s emphasis on her age shift. In SOUR, she nods to being 17 years old in the lyrics of the track “Brutal.” She sings, “I’m so sick of 17, where’s my f*cking teenage dream?” Throughout the album, she sings about the sadness of a failed romance, along with a hint of so-called teenage rebellion. GUTS tackles a more grown-up viewpoint of the same subjects, and Rodrigo was 19 years old at the time of writing it. In the track “Teenage Dream,” she sings, “Got your whole life ahead of you, you’re only 19,” and “And I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream.” While this transition may come off as a bit disheartening, Rodrigo emphasizes an idea that many young adult women already know well — that they’re reassured they have their whole life ahead of them at 17, but then at 19, it feels like they’re falling behind.
Being 19 is without a doubt such a confusing age for many young women who are currently coming of age. Many are in college, navigating relationships, and figuring out themselves in a new way. As a 19-year-old myself, I relate to a lot of the themes Rodrigo discusses in GUTS. The track “All-American Bitch” discusses the impossible expectations that young girls face while taking on a sarcastic tone to highlight the “ridiculousness” of it all. I especially took the lyrics, “I’m grateful all the time, I’m sexy and I’m kind, I’m pretty when I cry,” to heart because leaving the comfort of being a teenager has put a greater amount of pressure on my self-confidence and attitude.
Additionally, I realized that being 19 opens a different kind of insecurity when it comes to appearance. As a teenager, trying out different things is celebrated. As you get older, every new possibility has the same ring to it. Rodrigo mentions this in the track “Pretty Isn’t Pretty,” which is about beauty standards. She sings, “I could try every lipstick in every shade, but I’d always feel the same.” This lyric spoke to me since I feel like I had to reinvent myself a lot as a teenager, much like how many women feel in the music industry, but now there’s less excitement in that.
The age of 19 may have its difficulties, but it’s reassuring to know that singers like Olivia Rodrigo can sum up the experience and make young girls everywhere feel seen and heard. Even a Grammy Award-winning star like her can still relate to any girl who is figuring out adulthood. With SOUR embodying 17, and GUTS 19, I can’t wait to continue growing up with Rodrigo’s music.
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