REVIEW: Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘GUTS’ shows she is a pop star set to stay

Some doubted that the 20-year-old could match the success of SOUR, but on GUTS - a genre-hopping, dance-then-cry rollercoaster full of emotion and feminine rage - Rodrigo is better than ever.

The most enjoyable evolution between the two albums is seeing more of the upbeat, rock-chick vibe of ‘good 4 u’. The perfectly chosen opener, ‘all-american bitch’, grows from a tranquil first verse to a screaming, head-banging bridge.

The theme of ‘feminine rage’ she cited as an inspiration for the ‘good 4 u’ music video is more fully explored, never more so than on ‘get him back!’ - a playful, unstoppable earworm based around the clever double meaning of the title (“I want sweet revenge, and I want him again”).

Just as brilliant are piano ballads like ’logical’ and ‘the grudge’, where the confessional style of SOUR continues, but without feeling unoriginal.

Worries that superstar status would spoil Rodrigo’s relatability were unfounded - she continues to lean into universal insecurities in ‘lacy’ and ‘pretty isn’t pretty’ (“There's always somethin' missin'/There's always somethin' in the mirror that I think looks wrong’). She draws on her new fame for inspiration on ‘making the bed’ and is especially critical of public expectations of her on ‘all american bitch’: “I am built like a mother and a total machine/I feel for your every little issue, I know just what you mean/And I make light of the darkness/I've got sun in my motherfuckin' pocket, best believe”.

The most poignant moment, though, is the finale, ‘teenage dream’, where Rodrigo ponders how the public will react once she is no longer as precocious and youthful (“I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream”). The track isn’t just about the interaction of ageing with fame, though - it perfectly encapsulates the almost universal nervousness to grow up (“They all say that it gets better/It gets better the more you grow/Yeah, they all say that it gets better/It gets better, but what if I don't?”).

Rodrigo’s young fans will take comfort from the fact that, despite the dizzying heights she has reached, their idol still shares their anxieties. It is this relatability, as well as the sheer fun of the more upbeat tracks, that cements Rodrigo’s status as far more than a one-hit-wonder, but an intelligent and iconic singer.

Edited by Bethia Wyborn