Hello! đđ
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Todayâs music pick is the bigger, bolder sophomore effort from one of the planetâs biggest pop stars.
Genre: Pop, Punk Rock
Label: Geffen
Release Date: September 8, 2023
Vibe: đ¤
Olivia Rodrigoâs grandiose, often bitingly funny Guts does what every great sequel should: double-down on what made the debut material so exceptional. It takes the good-girl-gone-bad energy and dials it up to 11, preferring to verbally and musically torch the worldâs expectations of how an early-20-something woman should act. In the process, Rodrigo pays homage to strong (and, sadly, often publicly divisive) female performers from years gone by. Despite what the online haters will likely say, this record isnât solely made for the TikTok generation. There are deft nods to Debbie Harry, Avril Lavigne, Hayley Williams, and Courtney Love throughout, signaling that she has more interest in putting on her best dirtbag sneer than a pretty, empty smile for the cameras. I mean, opening your new album with a raucous track titled âall-american bitchâ more or less speaks for itself.
True to that tone-setter, thereâs lots of performative pettiness on display here, and I mean that in the best way possible. âget him back!â is âgood 4 uâ on a grander, more arena-sized scale, featuring vocals that sound far more mature than they did the first time around. âbad idea right?â turns that vicious spotlight inwards, making herself the butt of the joke with stream-of-consciousness songwriting thatâs instantly relatable âYes, I know that he's my ex/But can't two people reconnect?â All those moments aside, the albumâs real showstoppers are the ballads. This format lets Rodrigo pair down the theatrics and showcase her chops behind the mic. âvampireâ will undoubtedly go down as one of the yearâs best songs, while âteenage dreamâ is the perfect closer for a record like this, asking tough questions while still holding onto hope that redemption isnât far away.
Despite my initial skepticism, Olivia Rodrigo exceeds expectations with this release. Itâs one of the yearâs best.
đ Donât forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform đ