Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS”

How was the run?

I had a restless night's sleep because we brought home a new cat and I struggle with change, but I also remembered to stretch before I slept, so maybe they cancelled each other out. Overall, decent run, no complaints.

After, I was looking at my watch – either starting a podcast or judging my run metrics – when I mindlessly wandered from one side of the street to the other and nearly collided with a man walking his dog. I have never seen him before and I will not be receiving the first-impression rose. Shucks.

And the house on the corner of W***** and M****** sold so incredibly fast! The backyard is 🧑‍🍳💋.

How was the album?

The instrumentation on the pop-punk songs is strong and well-produced; the ballads are kind of boring (and maybe just not my cup of tea); BUT the reason I rated this album so highly is because some of the writing is just incredible and deserves recognition.

I can't help but compare this album to a Taylor Swift album because – at least to my uncultured ears – they're both sort of like the final-boss pop-star-icons of their generation (is Beyoncé the big-boss of Gen-X?).

To me, Taylor Swift is so hyper-serious and hyper-focused on her image – much like some of her other generational counterparts (👋). She can’t afford to be self-deprecating or show her hand. With every move, there is a massive benefit-risk analysis being run in order to advance her career and ensure the long-term profitability of her empire.

But Olivia doesn't seem to give a shit about her cultural significance; or at least realizes that her constituents want her to be honest, even to a fault – and especially if she’s at fault. Maybe because her generation doesn't have enough time or attention to handle bullshit. Maybe because TikTok has normalized over-sharing. Give them the real thing or get the fuck out of here.

I think this album has a lot going for it. It's not always a slam-dunk or successfully climbs over cringe-mountain, but the process comes across as part of the finished product and feels way more genuine than a ton of more established artists.

Some lyrical selections:

From Get Him Back!

And when I told him how he hurt me, he'd tell me I was trippin' But I am my father's daughter, so maybe I could fix him

From Get Him Back!

I wanna key his car I wanna make him lunch I wanna break his heart Then be the one to stitch it up

From Logical:

Said I was too young, I was too soft Can't take a joke, can't get you off

From Teenage Dream:

But I fear that they already got all the best parts of me And I'm sorry that I couldn't always be your teenage dream

Where can I listen to this?