Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts, dropped on September 8th, and after her smash-hit debut album, Sour, she did not disappoint. The new record displays her growth as an artist and as a person. The young girl reeling from a heartbreak in Sour has developed a deeper understanding of love, relationships, and herself. What’s even more incredible is how she seamlessly transitions between different genres and explores new sounds on this album. The artist’s first record lightly touched on the pop-punk genre, but now, Rodrigo fully leans into it with a heavy guitar, drums, and intense vocals. Guts is complex and encapsulates how it feels to be growing up in the late teens to early twenties — that awkward stage still feeling like a kid but aren’t quite sure how to navigate adulthood yet. Each song brings a new story to the table and deals with personal experiences while still managing to convey universal messages. It’s time to be gutsy and rank each song on the album based on lyricism and musicality. 

12) Pretty Isn’t Pretty 

“Pretty Isn’t Pretty” captures girlhood in all its messy and complex glory. Rodrigo opens up about how “there’s always somethin’ in the mirror that I think looks wrong” and dives into the insecurities that every girl and woman goes through in life. Even for adults, these lyrics hit hard. It has consistent musicality and leans more into the punk side of the album with its use of guitar and drums. The best part is the bridge; throughout the entire song, nothing in terms of singing stands out, but Rodrigo’s vocals in this specific section are interesting to listen to. This shows her growth in range as she enters her falsetto. It’s a catchy, bittersweet song, yet the only reason this song ranks last is simply because all of the other ballads and pop-punk songs outweigh it in terms of lyricism and instrumentation.

11) Love is Embarrassing 

Love at any age is scary and embarrassing, and this Guts track perfectly captures that feeling of grappling with unrequited love. No matter how horrible the person is, Rodrigo recalls ending up “waiting by the goddam phone” and excusing their terrible behavior to simply be around them. It’s a painful cycle that so many can relate to. This time, that feeling comes with a fun pop-punk backing track that is easy to sing along to. The chorus emanates with a ’90s-inspired sounds as Rodrigo reflects on how she treats herself in order to get someone’s attention who is not worth her time. It serves as the perfect reminder for listeners to not dim their light for anyone who doesn’t treat them well. There are also many interesting musical elements in this song, courtesy of Rodrigo’s producer, Dan Nigro. Throughout the entire track, there are guitar riffs after each verse, which give the fairly consistent instrumentation a twist that makes it more engaging to listen to. Overall, the song is fun and cohesive with the album, but not as complex as the rest of the tracklist; it does not take many risks. 

10) Logical 

“Logical” lays out the story of an unhealthy relationship marred by manipulation and cruelty. Rodrigo takes her personal experience and uses it as inspiration to create a powerful and relatable narrative. In this piano ballad, Rodrigo reflects on her irrational actions that kept her in this relationship for longer than she was meant to, stating that “love is never logical.” Nothing made sense to her during this time with this person, so much so that two plus two ended up equaling five, and “the sky was green and the grass was red.” Her entire world was flipped upside down due to the harshness she faced at the hands of the other individual. Anyone who has gone through difficult relationships can immediately relate to this song and the feeling of being lost, even when there is someone right beside them. What makes this track incredible is Rodrigo’s emotion behind every word, but this is not the most impressive vocal performance she has given. Still, her pain is heard behind every word and note. She truly knows how to tell a heartbreaking story backed by melancholic piano and intimate vocals. 

9) Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl

Rodrigo brings all the angst in “ballad of a homeschooled girl” as she tackles her struggles with social anxiety and the pressure of fitting in with people her age. Since she started in the industry as a teen, Rodrigo never had a conventional education. She didn’t get the chance to be around people her age every day like many, yet she takes this specific experience and makes it a relatable song for all those who face social anxiety. The melody and backing track match the teenage angst perfectly through the messy ’90s grunge aesthetic. A balanced amount of distortion is used on the guitars, and the drumming beat only adds to emphasize how many people with anxiety feel. It’s almost like our hearts is beating out of our chests. “Ballad of a homeschooled girl” is spunky, and edgy, and will have listeners cathartically screaming at the top of their lungs with their other socially anxious besties.

8) Lacy

“Lacy” is what “pretty isn’t pretty” should have been. It takes the experience of girlhood and shows how crushing it is to constantly compare oneself to somebody that they see as superior. Rodrigo captures societal expectations perfectly as she sings “lacy, oh, lacy, it’s like you’re out to get me” and “I feel your compliments like bullets on skin.” Women are constantly pitted against each other so much so that it feels like there is no safe space to hide or anyone to talk to. The guitar picking and effective harmonies create a mesmerizing piece that keeps listeners hooked throughout its mellow tune. Nigro and Rodrigo continue the trend of building the song during the bridge, this time with more intense backing vocals layered onto each other, and it still lands perfectly. Compared to the other songs on the tracklist, it takes a while to warm up to and fully understand, but after a few listens, the sad reality of the ballad begins to sink in. Everyone, at one point or another, has felt envy and insecurity beyond measure while comparing themselves to somebody else.

7) Teenage Dream

This song is one of the heavier ones on the album in terms of lyrics. Here, Rodrigo reflects on growing up and whether she will continue to be good enough or ever be considered worthy after her teenage years. It truly is a gut-wrenching song that captures the insecurity and vulnerability of adolescence. Once again, Rodrigo drives it home with the bridge, saying, “They all say that it gets better, but what if I don’t?” Accompanying the lyrics are haunting harmonies that build from piano and soft singing to intense yelling and drums, showcasing the messiness of growing up and being in that in-between stage of teenagehood and adulthood. “Teenage Dream” almost feels like the comedown after Rodrigo’s song “Brutal” from Sour, in which she asks, “Where’s my f–king teenage dream?” This connection only makes the song better, as we get to see the artist’s mentality as she evolves with her music. This song is a perfect mix of emotion, both musically and lyrically. Rodrigo masterfully integrates her vocals and instrumentation to tell a universal story that many can relate to. Everyone is still growing—including her—and sometimes, that is terrifying.