Guts Review
“All American B****” - Olivia Rodrigo describes this song as her own version of a riot punk girl song (6:25 - 6:29 ). I think the punk riot side comes out more toward the end where she starts screaming into the microphone. I really like how the song switches between fast and slow. The slow part paints a picture of a girl who comes across as very respectful and kind, and the fast part shows this whole other insane side of her. One thing I didn’t love was that it felt very similar to one of her other songs called “brutal.”
“Bad idea right?” - I like how fun this song is while still effectively making the story clear. I love the part where she sings my brain goes “ahhhh”; it makes it feel more relatable. I like how danceable and energetic the song is. Not anything I didn’t like about the song.
“Vampire” - Her fans say this song sounds like you took a driver’s license partying. I love the storytelling and her voice throughout the entire song. This is also one of my favorites. The first time I heard it I really loved it.
“Lacy” - I like the storytelling. This song is about a person who is perfect in Olivia Rodrigo’s eyes. The emotions are conflicting because she envies Lacy but also can’t help but adore them. I feel like she is using very uncommon phrases such as “skin like puff pastry.” When she goes into the higher part, it really shows her range and it's nicely done.
“Ballad of a homeschooled girl” - I like that she starts the line with the line “cat got my tongue,” because I think it is an effective hook. I also like the energy and how danceable it is. This song is about someone not fitting into society and being socially awkward. In the song, Olivia is listing off everything that she did wrong such as telling secrets she shouldn’t tell, stumbling over her words, and making the situation weird and worse.
“Making the bed” - I really like her voice throughout the entire song, and I also like the storytelling in the verses. In the first verse Olivia is reminiscing on how much her life has changed through her career, and in the second verse she says the line “and I tell someone I love them just as a distraction” could possibly mean trying to distract herself from other things in her life. I also feel like in the second verse she is relating it back to “Drivers License” as it talks about a dream about driving. I wish that she would have more melodic changes in the song since it would keep people more interested.
“Logical” - Like the piano melody and her voice through the entire song. I also really like the storytelling. I can relate to the lines I fell for you like water falls from the February sky. I think the use of the line “cause if rain don't pour and sun don't shine” shows how confusing her whole situation is. This is more similar to the type of music I listen to so nothing I didn’t like.
“get him back!” - This is one of my favorite songs on this album, so there’s not much that I didn’t like. I love the bridge, and how fun it is to scream and dance to. I like the part where she says “I give up, give up, I give up everything” and “I place my bets but it's not worth anything” because it's more like talking instead of singing.
“Love is embarrassing” - I like the melody and also her voice in the chorus. I like the switch between the verse and the chorus. The song is about when she falls in love with someone and they break her heart even though she thought the person was “the one.”
“The grudge” - I find this song relatable because I personally find it hard to let go of things even if they happened years ago. I like the storytelling — how she is talking about this person she very much adores but is simultaneously jealous of. I really like the part where she sings “you built me up to watch me fall,” and “you have everything but you still want more.” During this line her voice sounds really powerful and the way she sings these lines communicates her point.
“Pretty isn’t pretty” - I like the storytelling and how she explains the harsh reality of having insecurities. I think this song focuses on issues young women experience especially in terms of look and body image that is very prevalent in social media. I really like this song but the message is quite hard to take in. I like the melody and the instruments she chooses to use. I would have liked it if the tempo changed a bit more throughout the song.
“Teenage Dream” - I love the piano part in the beginning. I loved how her voice sounded in this song. One of my favorite parts of this song is the bridge. I liked the bridge because of her vocals and how she is voicing her worry about not getting better in life and this being her breaking point.