In 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her debut album “SOUR” and it felt like the entire world, including the cast of Saturday Night Live, started singing “drivers license” in crowded rooms—and if you’re me, alone in my apartment on repeat with absolutely zero shame. It was a song that spoke to many people’s souls. Songs on that album like “deja vu” and “happier” perfectly captured what it means to be a teenager in love. But the now 20-year-old singer also somehow spoke to what it means to be an adult of any generation who has had their heart broken. After all, we’ve all had those moments where we revert back to that teenager in high school we were, struggling to find our footing and searching for our power.
I have been anxiously waiting to see what the next album Olivia created would be like. That album is finally out, it’s called “GUTS,” and I listened to it the minute it dropped. Did it speak to my teenage soul in the way “SOUR” did? Yes. Yes, it did. But it also feels more grown up. Have I already learned the lyrics of several of the songs? You better believe it. The vibe of the album is fresh, yet evokes some type of ‘90s nostalgia that is not only timely but true to Olivia’s ability to connect to multiple generations. I’m excited to rank the songs on “GUTS” and will be joined by fellow Olivia fans at The Everygirl, Garri Charverst and Emma Ginsberg. The songs will be rated on a scale of one to five blood drops, because, vampire. This is what we thought:
12. “bad idea right?”
Michelle
Rating: 3/5
I love a song that starts with talk-singing, what can I say? This song is giving me ‘90s rock vibes, and I’m desperately trying to memorize the chanting chorus. This is an anthem for anyone who has known it was a bad idea to hook back up with an ex, but did it anyway, because we’ve all been there. The guitar solo toward the end of the song is also very fun. I’d be willing to bet this is one of the songs Olivia sings live as she promotes the album.
Garri
Rating: 2/5
I loved “bad idea right?” when it was released as a single on its own. It may not have been my favorite song, but I could see the appeal and it’s catchy as hell. After the rest of the album, though, this song just doesn’t stick out to me. Nothing can stop the virality of this song on TikTok with its relatable lyrics (who among us hasn’t made questionable decisions about an ex after badmouthing them to their friends?), but I may be skipping it on future listens.
Emma
Rating: 2/5
I know this song has become a TikTok favorite, but this is where I hit my personal angst limit. Just because I know exactly how it feels to be on the precipice of making a bad dating decision doesn’t mean I want to hang out with that feeling for three full minutes. Then again, if you had asked me about three years ago when I was Olivia’s age, “bad idea right?” would have been my anthem.
11. “the grudge”
Michelle
Rating: 4/5
This was my favorite out of the piano ballads on the album, and I suspect is one of those songs that will sneak up on people and become a go-to on Fall playlists. The lyric “we both drew blood but man those cuts were never equal” got an extra blood drop emoji alone in my book. It’s melancholy, it’s moody, it’s beautiful, all at once.
Garri
Rating: 2/5
Maybe I’m just a sucker for the pop-rock nostalgic sound songs like “all-american bitch” and “get him back!” have, but this is another ballad that just doesn’t hit for me. What saves this song from a single bloodlet is the lyrics—I truly think Olivia is a great writer and perhaps will grow into the ballads she writes.
Emma
Rating: 2/5
“The grudge” is a beautiful ballad, but it pales in comparison to the other slow tracks on the album in my mind. I would have loved to see Olivia build this song to a “vampire” level of anger in the second half of the song, a la Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever.” However, I don’t see this song as a completely missed opportunity, as “your flower’s filled with vitriol” is a truly incredible bridge lyric.
10. “love is embarrassing”
Michelle
Rating: 3/5
Much like most of the songs on this album, I’m getting childhood pop-rock nostalgia from the tone of this song. At this point in the album, I am also now starting to notice that in quite a few of the lyrics, Olivia talks about how stupid or terrible she feels about falling for someone, and this one is no exception. I can relate to negative self-talk when it comes to looking back on relationships, and hope that Olivia, and all of us, know that it’s okay to make mistakes and grow. End of PSA (or really note to self).
Garri
Rating: 2/5
There are quite a few songs on this album that say what “love is embarrassing” says but in a better, more clever way—specifically “get him back” and “bad idea right?” (though I also rated the latter quite low). I just wonder what we could have gotten on this album had this song been left on the cutting room floor.
Emma
Rating: 4/5
“Love is embarrassing” sounds like it should be playing under the opening credits of an early 2000s high school rom-com, and I love it for that. Aside from the No Doubt-esque nostalgia this song invokes, I’m obsessed with how painfully self-reflective the lyrics are. Even if you’ve grown up beyond the age when love was embarrassing, we all remember what it feels like to plan out a wedding for a guy we’re never marrying.
9. “logical”
Michelle
Rating: 3/5
I agree with the lyric, “love is never logical.” However, this song felt less specific than the other songs on the album, so I had a hard time connecting to it. At least, I felt that most of the way through the song until the break where the lyric “our problems are all solvable” is followed by an absolutely glorious breakdown of things that were said in the relationship referenced. That twist added another blood drop on the rating scale for me.
Garri
Rating: 3/5
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the ballads on this album didn’t do it for me. That said, “logical” is quickly growing on me. Some of the messages in Olivia’s lyrics don’t quite land for me, but she really does get what falling in and out of love as a young woman is like. I may be at a very different life stage than Olivia, but I can still relate to what it’s like being so in love with someone that you start behaving in a way that defies logic. Years later, I still look back on past decisions and wonder just what the hell I was thinking.
Emma
Rating: 3/5
The lyrics of this song cut DEEP. Like, crying on the bathroom floor, walking in the rain without an umbrella deep. I think “logical” is a masterpiece, but I also don’t think I could listen to it on a daily basis—this is one of those songs that you save for when you’re down horrendous. Adding it to my crying playlist and moving on to the next track for the foreseeable future.
8. “making the bed”
Michelle
Rating: 4/5
This song gets better every time I listen to it. By the end of the year, it will probably be on my Spotify most-played list. It gives me major LA vibes, and seems to speak to Olivia’s experience rising to fame, but also could apply to anyone who achieved their dream and realized it wasn’t what they thought it would be. I loved the lyrics “another thing I ruined I used to do for fun” and “another perfect moment that doesn’t feel like mine.” These might as well be the anthem of people who find success in Hollywood.
Garri
Rating: 2/5
I really appreciate what “making the bed” says with its lyrics, but I just don’t think ballads are Olivia’s strength—yet. With the exception of “lacy,” these slower, more introspective songs don’t hit nearly as hard as the album’s upbeat tracks.
Emma
Rating: 4/5
The “Driver’s License” references in this track? Chef’s kiss. While I’m obsessed with the fury and fire of the full-on rock songs on this album, Olivia’s vocals stand out so beautifully on ballads like “making the bed.” This one gets a high ranking from me because it’s such a deeply emotional song that has nothing to do with romantic relationships, and instead encapsulates the sheer drama of simply just growing up and gaining responsibility.
7. “ballad of a homeschooled girl”
Michelle
Rating: 2/5
At first, I thought Olivia was singing in a British accent at the top of this one. I don’t think she was going for that, but I got British pop-rock vibes for sure. I could see this being a Spice Girls song if it were transported back to the ‘90s. This song didn’t hit me emotionally like some of the others did, but it’s fun, and seems very much like a nod to Olivia’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series days.
Garri
Rating: 3/5
This song really grew on me throughout my various listens. On the surface, it’s another punky banger on an album with no shortage of them, but where this song really shines is in its lyrics. As a sufferer of chronic social anxiety myself (though I wasn’t homeschooled), I really relate to a few of the lines here, which makes this song personally endearing. Breaking glasses? Oversharing? Worrying about what you said a night after drinking? We’ve all been there, Olivia. The one thing I will say is more often than not, everyone is too preoccupied with worrying about their own missteps after a night out to even remember anything embarrassing you might’ve done.
Emma
Rating: 5/5
It’s literally so hard to be a girl, and in “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” Olivia is shining a light on the brutal awkwardness of teen girlhood. The angst in this song makes me wish I could transport back in time and force my 13-year-old self to listen to Olivia scream “Feels like my skin doesn’t fit right over my bones.” I’m calling this a puberty anthem for the ages.
6. “get him back!”
Michelle
Rating: 2/5
The only song with an exclamation point in the title, and we should all take note. Not only are we getting more talk-singing at the beginning of this song, but it’s also throwing out summer camp vibes (and maybe even middle school vibes) with slightly more juvenile lyrics. That being said, it’s going to be a fun one to scream-sing in the car after someone has wronged me.
Garri
Rating: 5/5
In addition to “lacy,” “get him back!” was an instant favorite. The song plays on the double meaning of the phrase “get him back!” with nearly every line in a way that is just fun and super relatable. In an album full of songs exploring young love, this one captures the unique experience of simultaneously loving and hating a person so much you can’t tell if you want to kiss them or, as Olivia puts it, hit ‘em with an uppercut. In true Olivia fashion, this upbeat hit is super catchy and one I’ve been banging my head to on repeat.
Emma
Rating: 4/5
“Get him back!” took a few listens for me, because girl, getting flown to France as an apology is hella unrelatable. However, it’s the “But I am my father’s daughter, so maybe I can fix him” that did me in, because Olivia’s dad is a therapist, and dropping in a personal Easter egg like that is what makes her a star. The ad-libs that I found slightly annoying on my first listen completely won me over on the fifth.
5. “pretty isn’t pretty”
Michelle
Rating: 3/5
This is a song that I imagine playing at the midpoint of a rom-com in a high school where the main character is having an epic moment of change. And I mean that in the best way possible. The song has chill vibes and adds a light touch to the end of the album. I’ve said it too many times in these ratings, but I’ll say it again: it’s giving me ‘90s and it’s giving me Gwen Stefani circa No Doubt.
Garri
Rating: 5/5
Michelle and I both went to the same place on this one. But does this song not sound like it should be playing in the opening credits of an early-aughts teen movie? A high-school senior escapes to the city for a weekend—without telling her parents, mind you—for the adventure of her life. Sonically, this song immediately transports me to this place every time I listen to it. But though I find myself bopping along to the nostalgic beat, the lyrics here also cut deep (I love a bop with meaning). In a world where beauty standards change with the seasons, it’s impossible for women of any age to keep up. At 20 years old, molding yourself into what the world views as beautiful is a constant uphill battle that’s hard to see the other side of. Olivia has proven she can make songs that capture somewhat universal experiences of love, but I think “pretty isn’t pretty”—alongside “lacy”—are even better examples of what Olivia can do: make us all feel connected in our experiences of womanhood.
Emma
Rating: 4/5
If “Who Says” by Selena Gomez had a sad indie pop Gen Z younger sister, it would be “pretty isn’t pretty” by Olivia Rodrigo. In all seriousness, it’s been a long time since pop culture has delivered a song about impossible beauty standards that’s as much of a banger as this one. I personally think that this song is lyrically leagues above “jealousy, jealousy” on SOUR, mostly because of its narrower focus on female beauty standards, so it’s earning four blood drops from me.
4. “lacy”
Michelle
Rating: 4/5
This song is absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing. I still can’t quite pinpoint why it makes me feel so delightfully melancholy (I love it when a song brings forth my true brooding self) and I can see several interpretations of the song. For me, the lyric “I despise my rotten mind and how much it worships you” hits the hardest—it reminds me of all the times I’ve compared myself to someone else, or felt betrayed by my heart.
Garri
Rating: 5/5
Hello to my absolute favorite song on the album. I generally think Olivia’s slower songs and ballads are weaker compared to her upbeat pop-punk songs, but “lacy” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve listened to in a while. Lyrically, it perfectly encapsulates the innate jealousy a person can feel towards someone who, by most accounts, “has it all.” You simultaneously love, hate, and want to be them, and “lacy” just gets that experience.
Emma
Rating: 5/5
This is my favorite song on GUTS by far—While I applaud Olivia for bringing back pop-punk in a big way, I think that this slightly indie sound shows just how much potential she has as an artist. Lyrically, it’s the perfect illustration of how icky it feels to be jealous of another woman, one whom you potentially admire at the same time. That said, I will be covering my ears and singing “la la la” anytime anyone on the internet speculates who this song might be about! Let women feel the human emotion of jealousy without pitting them against each other, xoxo.
3. “all-american bitch”
Michelle
Rating: 5/5
I loved that the album started with this song. The duality of the lyrics and the shifting tones are a preview of the types of songs that appear in the album—sweet ballads and pop-rock anthems. This particular song spoke to me in a similar way that *that* monologue from Barbie did, calling out what it’s like to be a woman in this world. The feeling especially hit me when the following ironic lyrics are repeated at the end of the song: “I’m grateful all the time, I’m sexy and I’m kind, I’m pretty when I cry.” And earlier in the song, “I am built like a mother and a total machine” might be my favorite lyric in the whole album.
Garri
Rating: 5/5
“all-american bitch” has the weighty responsibility of starting the album off on the right foot—and, in my opinion, it sticks the landing and then some. With each listen, this song gets higher and higher on my faves list. It sets the tone for what the album is going to be: an exploration of what it’s like to come of age as a young girl right now. This song is a masterful opener in the context of the album, but it’s also a HIT on its own.
Emma
Rating: 4/5
Barely-suppressed feminine rage? Yup, I would say that’s a pretty accurate representation of how it feels to be a Gen Z woman in America from my point of view. When Olivia said, “I am built like a mother and a total machine,” I felt that so hard, and I know I’m not the only one. This song sets the tone for the rest of GUTS flawlessly, and it’s a stellar kickoff to Olivia’s sophomore album.
2. “vampire”
Michelle
Rating: 5/5
This track was released as a single earlier this summer, and I had already listened to it a hundred times before the album came out. Upon the first listen, the song evoked my own memories of dating older people in my early 20s who absolutely destroyed my sense of self-worth, and the word “vampire” feels accurate. Upon subsequent listens the lyric “cause girls your age know better” particularly stabbed me in the heart. I will also say, I love vampires, so this song kind of gives them a bad name, but I forgive Olivia on behalf of all fantastical fictional vampires (Damon, Stefan, Edward, etc.)
Garri
Rating: 5/5
I don’t think “bad idea right?” was the right choice of a single, but “vampire” couldn’t have been more perfect as our introduction to “GUTS.” Not only is it a perfect nod to the album’s title, but it is also a summation of the album. Our relationships, especially at Olivia’s age, define so much of our younger years. Whether they’re toxic (as the one in “vampire” clearly is) or wonderfully romantic or just plain fun, the people we’re with in our early 20s shape how we feel about life and love as we grow up—which is what this album is really about. A nearly perfect song.
Emma
Rating: 5/5
When Rolling Stone called GUTS an “instant classic,” they might as well have just been talking about “Vampire” in itself, because this song is an immediate earworm. Olivia definitely picked the perfect single to introduce this album. In my opinion, you can hear little bits of “Vampire,” whether thematically or musically, in every other song on the album.
1. “teenage dream”
Michelle
Rating: 5/5
I couldn’t help but think immediately of the Katy Perry song when I saw the title of this one, but that thought immediately disappeared as soon as the song started. The message behind this song is my favorite on the album. The lyrics are as applicable to a 19-year-old who’s about to turn 20 as it is to anyone moving into a new era, or facing the pressures all young people face. Life. Is. Terrifying. Also… I think the very end of the song might be a recording of baby Olivia and that makes me want to cry.
Garri
Rating: 5/5
If “all-american bitch” is the perfect opener, then “teenage dream” is the perfect closer. Looking back at all my rankings for this album, my favorite songs (aside from the absolute bangers that are “get him back!” and “vampire”) are the ones where Olivia focuses not on love, but on the transition into womanhood. Yes, relationships are a part of that, but more than anything, being a 20-year-old woman entering the “real world” for the first time is an impossibly daunting experience. Are you pretty enough? Did you say something wrong at that party? Why does that other girl seem to have it all so easy? In “teenage dream,” Olivia asks, over and over again if it really does get better. As I enter my thirties I can confidently say it really, truly does.
Emma
Rating: 5/5
HUGE day for 22-year-old teenage girls like myself! Aside from the double “Brutal” and Katy Perry reference in “Teenage Dream,” I love this track because of the unbelievable build throughout the song. I’m amazed at how Olivia Rodrigo can pull off a build that goes from basically whispering to something I can picture myself fully yelling in the shower in under four minutes. The bridge in this song mirrors the feeling of being on the cusp of adulthood both lyrically and musically, and it’s gorgeous. No notes.
