O-ROD'S REVIEWS: "INSTANT CLASSIC"

Just two years after releasing her record-breaking debut album, SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore offering, GUTS, has arrived to rave reviews, marking a significant step forward in her career. Rodrigo appropriately spills her guts on what the L.A. Times calls “a bubble-gum rock masterpiece,” harnessing the poignant gestalt of life as a twentysomething in these bewildering times.

Showcasing the Geffen star’s flair for candid storytelling, the long-awaited 12-track album displays more edge and wit. It was hailed as “another instant classic” by Rolling Stone, while AP News praised its pop-punk dynamism and “diaristic” depth, reflecting Rodrigo's newfound fame and precocious wisdom.

Across the board, critics are noting the album’s angsty sound and sharp lyricism. The New York Times, meanwhile, commended its “real-time reckoning with newfound celebrity.” Variety celebrated the album's seamless continuation of Rodrigo’s Grammy-winning debut, SOUR. And The Independent heralded her unapologetic arrival at her authentic self.

NME noted the LP’s display of “power, range and versatility,” while The Guardian, hailing an album “full of sharp portraiture and withering put-downs,” dug deep into the influences and references dotting the musical universe inhabited by Rodrigo and collaborator Dan Nigro:

The sound of GUTS is noticeably tougher than its predecessor, as if taking SOUR’s Elvis Costello-indebted opener “Brutal” as its starting point: more distorted guitars, a live sound… a hint of grunge-era alt-rock in the quiet-loud dynamics of “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” and a sprinkling of sprechgesang vocals that probably have something to do with Wet Leg, but which, allied to the lumbering syncopated rhythm and massed-vocal chorus of “Get Him Back!,” more clearly conjure up the specter of early ’00s rap-rock.

Vulture, for its part, commended the album's balance of alt-rock jams and emotional ballads, with Pitchfork likewise highlighting its diverse range of songs.

As the reviews continue to roll in, the critical consensus is clear: GUTS demonstrates Rodrigo's growth as a songwriter and artist, cementing her position as a major player in the pop pantheon.