Biographical Information
Title: Guts
Artist: Olivia Rodrigo
Record Label: Olivia Rodrigo PS
Release Date: 2023
Genre: Alternative, Pop Rock
Format: Music Album
Length: 12 songs / 39 minutes, 18 seconds
Interest Level: 14+
Awards/Honors:
People’s Choice Awards: Album of the Year
iHeartRadio Music Awards: Pop Album of the Year
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards: Favorite Album
Album Description:
Get ready to spill your Guts as you sing along with Olivia Rodrigo on her second album. More alternative than her last, Guts is filled with the teen angst and annoyance that you can’t help but relate to and scream with. While plenty of the songs can definitely be danced to, this is definitely a “play as loud as you can in your car and sing the lyrics with the windows rolled down” type of album. Playing with the idea of following your bad ideas (and even taking accountability for it) Rodrigo embraces the fact that sometimes the most fun part of being a young adult is making mistakes to later learn from. A mix of strong alternative and soft ballads, Guts is a relatable album to everyone, and a reminder for some of us older adults just what being a teenager was like however long ago.
Artist Background:
Born and raised as an only child in California, Olivia Rodrigo began participating in musical theater programs while in elementary school, with her guardian beginning to put her in singing competitions at the age of 12. With her first commercial at seven years old, guitar lessons at nine, and piano lessons at 11, it seemed like Rodrigo was on track to become a childhood star. In 2016, at the age of 13, it came true: she landed the lead role on Disney’s new show Bizaardvark and would later go on to be in their other hit series, High School Musical: the Musical: the Series which she would leave after the third season to focus on her music career. With the hit song “Driver’s License” becoming an overnight hit in 2021 for Rodrigo, it was a full go to begin focusing on her music and following her passion, which has continued into her second album Guts (Olivia Rodrigo).
Critical Evaluation:
With a mix of pop and rock influences this album just screams young adult: slightly more dark than her previous album, Rodrigo successfully curated a sound that matches her vocals and her inner feelings perfectly. Rodrigo even mentioned that this album was more mature than her previous, stating that she wanted to show how much she had grown as a person in such little time (Guts). So many of the songs on this album are catchy, even to the point where about half of the album is used as various sounds on TikTok. A personal favorite was “vampire”, which discusses blindly believing a partner and their narcissistic tendencies/lies to the point of almost alienating yourself from everyone else. It is a hard lesson to learn as a young adult, that someone you love may be manipulating you or using you, but it is one that everyone unfortunately learns.
I’ll be honest: I haven’t really listened to many new artists in a while. I’m someone who finds my favorite artists and just listens to them forever until someone else pops up. I don’t really go on the hunt for new music. Yet, this album changed that last year when it came out: it reminded me of the bands I used to listen to in high school, including some that broke up over the years. While I am not usually a pop fan, Rodrigo does an amazing job of mixing pop and alternative into a sound that is so fun. And yes, I did have to italicize that for emphasis!
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Trivia night! Oh boy have I wanted to create a trivia night and this album feels perfect for it. The theme? Songs by former child stars. The goal: listen to the first 5 seconds of a song and tell me who sings it and what it’s called and what show the singer is originally from! It’s a simple idea but I think it would be really fun and bring a couple of generations of Disney kids together (don’t worry, I have all the Jonas Brothers songs on lock).
Speed Round Book Talk:
Nothing about “making the bed” is “logical” when you’re an “all-american bitch”. Especially when “pretty isn’t pretty” even when things seem “lacy” while singing the “ballad of a homeschooled girl”. Not to mention how “love is embarrassing” while holding “the grudge” against a “vampire”, and all you want to do is “get him back!.” I mean, that’s a “bad idea right?”. Well, Olivia Rodrigo and her Guts seems to say so.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Let’s not sugar coat it: Rodrigo definitely drops some curse words throughout the album and that will always end up facing a challenge from someone. The issue is words only have as much meaning as we give them, and curse words (compared to other offensive language) tend to not be the ones that I am the most concerned about. Nonetheless, as I have mentioned before in this blog in reference to cursing, such language (whether considered foul or not) is technically protected by the First Amendment, which the ALA calls on librarians and libraries to uphold in the Library Bill of Rights.
Reason for Inclusion:
This is one of the hottest albums of 2023, and is still being played and loved by millions well into a year later. It is an amazing mix of a few different music genres that has a wide appeal to many different ages, not just young adults. Honestly, not including this album in a collection geared towards young adults would simply feel wrong.
References:
Guts (Olivia Rodrigo album). (2023, June 26). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guts_(Olivia_Rodrigo_album)
Olivia Rodrigo. (2017, February 5). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_Rodrigo
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