Olivia Rodrigo proved that she’s not in a sophomore slump with her second album, GUTS. Released on Friday, September 8, the singer said the record gave her “a lot of confidence as a songwriter,” as proven by some of her jaw-dropping new lyrics.
“In hindsight, I think that a lot of this album is about the confusion that comes with becoming a young adult and figuring out your place in this world and figuring out who you want to be and who you want to hang out with and all of that stuff,” Rodrigo, 20, told Zane Lowe on Apple Music in an interview released Friday. “I think that that’s probably an experience that everyone has had in their life before, is just that rising from that disillusionment.
Rodrigo was a Disney Channel star who was thrust into the spotlight in January 2021 after her debut single, “Drivers License,” was released. In May of that year, Rodrigo released her debut album, SOUR, and fans have been begging for new music ever since.
While GUTS is a collection of 12 songs that encompass the transition from adolescence to adulthood, Rodrigo revealed that she actually has “like 25” unreleased tracks that didn’t make it on the record.
Not anything too crazy. I think some of them will definitely see the light of day. I don’t know,” she admitted in her Apple Music interview. “In crafting an album track list, there’s just intricacies. Like, ‘Oh, too many of these songs and I want to save this for later,’ and stuff like that. So, I bet some of them will see the light of day.”
The ones that were ultimately chosen for GUTS sure do pack a major punch. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Rodrigo’s most gut-wrenching lyrics on her sophomore album.
All-American Bitch’
“And I am built like a mother and a total machine / I feel for your every little issue, I know just what you mean,” she sings on the first verse. “And I make light of the darkness / I’ve got sun in my motherf–kin’ pocket, best believe.”
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Right off the bat, Rodrigo proved that she can create a perfect blend of pop-rock tracks and ballads. She called the album opener — which shows both sides of her personality — “one of my favorite songs on the record” during her Apple Music interview.
Bad Idea Right?’
“And I told my friends I was asleep,” the second verse reads. “But I never said where or in whose sheets.”
The line of lyrics heard around the world. Rodrigo confirmed after the single’s August release that it is, in fact, “in whose sheets” — and TikTok has run wild with the sound bite ever since.
‘Vampire’
“Bloodsucker, fame f—ker,” Rodrigo sings on the chorus. “Bleedin’ me dry like a goddamn vampire.”
This seriously shocking lyric was one fans almost didn’t hear. In various interviews, Rodrigo revealed that she fought for the “fame f—ker” lyric, and it’s since gotten the attention it deserves. Many listeners have speculated that the track is about Rodrigo’s ex Zack Bia, who she dated for six months in 2022.
Lacy’
“Like ribbons in your hair, my stomach’s all in knots / You got the one thing that I want,” the second chorus reads. “Try to rationalize, people are people / But it’s like you’re made of angel dust.”
Social media was abuzz with the note Rodrigo hit at the end of this lyric. While it’s unclear exactly who this song is about, jealousy is the tune’s biggest undertone.
‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’
“I talkеd to this hot guy, swore I was his type / Guess that he was makin’ out with boys, like the whole night,” the lyrics in the second verse read. “Everythin’ I do is tragic / Every guy I like is gay.”
Rodrigo is open about her homeschool education, and her past experiences appear to be chronicled throughout this song — especially with this eye-brow raising lyric.
‘Making the Bed’
“I’m so tired of bein’ the girl that I am / Every good thing has turned into somethin’ I dread,” she sings in the chorus. “And I’m playin’ the victim so well in my head / But it’s me who’s been makin’ the bed.”
Rodrigo appears to be singing about her whirlwind rise to fame and the ongoing speculation about her personal life that comes with it. Her success can be interpreted as the “good thing,” but the public’s perception may be the “something I dread.”
Logical’
“Argument you held over my head / Brought up the girls you could have instead,” the lyrics of the bridge read. “Said I was too young, I was too soft / Can’t take a joke, can’t get you off.”
Fans have speculated that this track is also about Rodrigo’s ex Bia as the “too young” line could reference their seven-year age difference.
‘Get Him Back!’
“And when hе said something wrong, he’d just fly me to Francе / So I miss him some nights when I’m feeling depressed,” Rodrigo sings in the first verse. “’Til I remember every time he made a pass on my friend.”
The ultimate breakup song — that’s all that needs to be said. Rodrigo recalled having a “total breakdown” the day before writing this track while speaking to Apple Music, but it ended up being one of her “favorite songs.”
Love Is Embarrassing’
“Just watch as I crucify myself,” the chorus reads. “For some weird second string loser who’s not worth mentioning.”
Rodrigo seems to be reflecting on a past love. However, she’s embarrassed of her feelings and his actions.
‘The Grudge’
“The arguments that I’ve won against you in my head / In the shower, in the car, and in the mirror before bed,” Rodrigo sings in the second verse. “Yeah, I’m so tough when I’m alone, and I make you feel so guilty / And I fantasize about a time you’re a little f–kin’ sorry.”
Listeners have speculated that Rodrigo is singing about Taylor Swift on this track, who she’s previously referred to as one of her biggest inspirations. Rumors have long been swirling that there’s bad blood between Rodrigo and Swift, with some fans even thinking the song “Vampire” was about the potential feud. Rodrigo recently told The Guardian that she was “very surprised” about the speculation, refusing to share who the track was really about.
Pretty Isn’t Pretty’
“It’s in my phone, it’s in my head, it’s in the boys I bring to bed,” the second verse reads. “It’s all around, it’s all the time, I don’t know why I even try.”
In this honest and relatable track, Rodrigo sings about how no matter what she does, she still has major insecurities.
Teenage Dream’
“When am I gonna stop being a pretty young thing to guys?” Rodrigo opens with. “When am I gonna stop being great for my age and just start being good?”
Rodrigo revealed that this was the first song she wrote for the album. “I like that it is like an ending, but it’s also a question mark and it’s leaving it up in the air what this next chapter is going to be,” she explained during her Apple Music interview.
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