What would be the best way to describe Olivia Rodrigo’s new album Guts? It might be better to look at what it is not, instead of trying to explain what it is, because this album can be easily and quickly categorized by its sound or preconceived notions about the artist. 

​It’s not pop-punk  

More precisely, Guts is not part of the post-pandemic pop-punk revival of Gen Z nor an extension of it. It’s true that Olivia Rodrigo processes her feelings of rage through music and that her approach to Sour was consumed within the teenage fad. However, Rodrigo’s sound doesn’t place her in the same musical world as Machine Gun Kelly or Willow. The recent popularity of pop-punk is often interpreted as a response to the voices that sympathize with the loneliness and frustration of teenagers who have been deprived of their daily lives due to the pandemic, more specifically a generation that has been relatively underestimated or overlooked within the widespread impact of it. At the same time, it has been criticized for rapidly becoming fashionable, with the music disappearing behind the artist’s looks and style.

Instead of going the popular way, Olivia Rodrigo takes a step further into the music she grew up listening to, as if Sour being treated as some part of a fad was because she hadn’t made her path clear enough. The singer grew up listening to 90s legacy including rock, specifically grunge, alternative, and riot grrrl, influenced by her parents. According to her Vogue interview, Weezer was her first concert and she recently went to see Depeche Mode with her father. In her Rolling Stone interview, she picked Rage Against the Machine as her favorite band and regretted that she wouldn’t be able to attend the Rock Hall of Fame this fall due to a schedule conflict.

As ridiculous as it is to question the authenticity of someone’s taste, people still look for The Cure in “pretty isn’t petty,” Wet Leg in “bad idea right?,” and Miley Cyrus in “all-american bitch.” But as Elvis Costello said when “brutal” from Sour was being compared to “Pump It Up,” “It’s how rock and roll works.” (As if to prove his point, Elvis Costello added “Pump It Up” was influenced by Bob Dylan and Chuck Berry.) Add to that the influences of The Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, and riot grrrl bands, which are often mentioned when discussing other tracks, it all becomes an indication of the wide-ranging, yet consistent, taste behind Guts.

Guts thus becomes part of a more general phenomenon of the revival of 90s sound, and the most successful version for the mainstream market. Olivia Rodrigo is categorized alongside Wet Leg, Reneé Rapp, Etta Marcus, and Cloud. Considering Rodrigo said that the music is for expressing rage and dissatisfaction (The Guardian), and that songwriting is a way to talk about what isn’t socially acceptable, unraveling in a way she wouldn’t do in person (Teen Vogue), it’s clear that as an artist Rodrigo has taken the approach that is most familiar and comfortable to her. She isn’t in need of punk music lessons.

​It’s not Disney 

Olivia Rodrigo stays true to her late-teenage and just-turned-20 self, but at the same time, she tells universal stories that are not tied to the specifics of the pandemic. Writing concrete lyrics drawn from one’s own life is perhaps the first virtue the young singer learned when she chose Taylor Swift to be her songwriting role model. This virtue, which is practically a rule in country music, flies in the face of the perception in pop music that the more vague lyrics are the better, changing the rule for success.

Olivia Rodrigo knew from the start what she wanted to say and what it meant. In a 2021 The Guardian interview, Rodrigo said “Something I’m really proud of is that this record talks about emotions that are hard to talk about or aren’t really socially acceptable especially for girls: anger, jealousy, spite, sadness, they’re frowned-upon as bitchy and moaning and complaining or whatever. But I think they’re such valid emotions,” discussing her album Sour. This is why it’s only natural that Guts is more adult in terms of its themes and expressions. Did she swear in her songs in an effort to break with the past as a Disney alumni? According to Olivia Rodrigo, it’s only because that’s the real way she talks. If there was any hesitation about going to parties, drinking alcohol (even though she’s not yet of legal drinking age in the U.S.), and including sexual connotations in her songs, it was because of the concern of having an influence on younger fans. But it was still more important to be unapologetically herself.

Olivia Rodrigo is a rare case of gaining immediate musical independence, given what previous Disney stars have gone through as teens and on their way to becoming adult artists. Rodrigo signed with a label that recognized her as a songwriter, rather than Hollywood Records under the Disney umbrella, which is an easy choice for Disney child stars to make when expanding their career into music. Olivia Rodrigo is not at the end of the list that includes Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and Miley Cyrus. Rather, her beginnings are closer to the former Nickelodeon star Ariana Grande, and with Guts, it’s easier to compare her to Billie Eilish in view of thematic expansion. From worries about having fame at a young age, being judged by the entertainment industry for their looks, to heartbreaks from older lovers, the two artists would be surprised to read each other’s diaries.

​It’s not bold 

Rumors about Taylor Swift being the inspiration behind certain songs in Guts have been circulating for a while. After “Cruel Summer” comparisons with “deja vu”, Olivia Rodrigo handed over 50% of the song’s royalties to Taylor Swift’s camp. Some have pointed out that this settlement was influenced by the notorious “Blurred Line” case, but it seems the parties interested wanted to settle the matter quietly. Tracks from Guts like “vampire,” “lacy,” and “the grudge” have been questioned as to whether or not they are related to the Taylor Swift incident, and Olivia Rodrigo denies it. At the same time, she insists that several other tracks bear no relation to her past relationships.

Of course, honesty is an important virtue and the inspiration for creation is a matter of curiosity. But there are priorities in the world and Olivia Rodrigo learned to compartmentalize the characters in her songs and people in real life. In other words, a song is not an Easter egg. This is especially true if you particularly care about your music. If you write a track as good as “get him back!,” you wouldn’t want to get caught up in gossip about who the song is about based on the seasons in the lyrics.

This is true for songs like “all-american bitch” and “pretty isn’t pretty” where Rodrigo expresses her cynicism or rejection of the stereotypical looks and behavior expected of young female artists. It’s inevitable that these songs link back to her teenage years at Disney and that they are a reminder of the double standard imposed on Disney stars. But Olivia Rodrigo is wisely navigating between her Disney days, her musical career, and the public’s curiosity. She’s grateful to Disney for the opportunity offered and for the safe landing from the High School Musical franchise and recognizes that the issues her songs raise aren’t unique to her situation. Both her gratitude and the listeners’ empathy ring true.

In short, Olivia Rodrigo is not bold as her albums and song titles suggest, but cautious, and that cautiousness applies to both her work and the way she presents it to the world. Everything she does is genuine and real. This is why you can’t hate Olivia Rodrigo.