Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, “Guts,” is everything and more that one would want in a bratty and misunderstood teen pop rock album. Released on Sept. 8, “Guts” has taken a storm over the music industry with its various piano ballads and scream worthy rock songs. Some of the most listened tracks on the album include “Get Him Back,” “Bad Idea, Right?” and the very well known “Vampire.” Rodrigo’s lyrics and passion combine to create an album where she truly spills out her “guts.”
At the start of her music career, Rodrigo was already making a name for herself. Previously starring in Disney’s “Bizaardvark” and “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” she knew how the industry functioned. She got to work with her producer, Dan Nigro, and produced her first single, “Drivers License.” The song instantly became a hit and encouraged her to release her first debut album, Sour. With the release of her album, Rodrigo set a high standard for other competing artists to beat.
Now that “Guts” is out, many have speculated that Rodrigo’s album is taking a stab at Taylor Swift. In “Sour,” the second track, “Déjà Vu,” is inspired by Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and Rodrigo takes note of that and credits Swift accordingly. Rodrigo has been repeatedly getting bashed because listeners think that her music is not original and that she is copying Swift. She has also been called out for copying bands such as Paramore and Radiohead in her song, “Good 4 U.”
Rodrigo has been known to love Swift because she is her biggest inspiration. They even became friends for a short while until Swift sued Rodrigo for copyright. This caused both fandoms to break. Some had no idea who to side with in the situation. When Rodrigo released “Vampire,” a diverse number of fans speculated that the song was about Swift. Rodrigo has not responded to the claims, but she admits that “Vampire” was never about Swift and instead it was about personal matters.
“I used to think I was smart, but you made me look so naïve, the way you sold me for parts, as you sunk your teeth into me, blood sucker, dream crusher, bleeding me dry like a vampire.” Lyrics such as this have convinced fans that Swift is who Rodrigo was singing about in her song “Vampire.” Another one of Rodrigo’s songs that is also a part of the controversy is “the grudge” from “guts.”
“And I try to be tough but I wanna scream. How could anybody do the things you did so easily? And I say I don’t care, I say that I’m fine. But you know I can’t let it go, I’ve tried, I’ve tried for so long. It takes strength to forgive, but I don’t feel strong.” This lyric could also be interpreted to be about Swift because when she sued Rodrigo, she took away everything.
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts” has undoubtedly become a beautiful album that has made an impression on many. The album features exhilarating rock songs and melancholy ballads that anyone will enjoy.
