Review: Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts (spilled)
Samantha Kavich ‘25 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
On March 22, Olivia Rodrigo released the deluxe version of her 2023 album, Guts, titled Guts (spilled). This re-release included five songs that weren’t on the original Guts album. Some may have heard four of these newly added songs on some special editions of the Guts vinyl, but the song “so american” is brand new, Rodrigo having written it since the initial release of Guts in 2023. Either way, all fans are sure to have been delighted by the additions on the deluxe album, now all in one place.
The first in the line-up of tracks is “… obsessed”, which is angsty, dramatic, and catchy in the way of Rodrigo’s other songs “brutal” and “jealousy, jealousy” from her Sour album, as well as “ballad of a homeschooled girl” from the original Guts tracks. Rodrigo has been performing “… obsessed” on her Guts tour, and the recorded version possesses all the energy and emotion of a live performance. This particular vein of Rodrigo’s music is nostalgic for artists such as Paramore and Avril Levine; it’s the kind of song that calls for jumping around and screaming along to, and is just plain fun, whether you’re a teenager who can relate to the petty jealousy the song expresses, or an adult reminiscing on what it’s like to feel that way. Rodrigo also released a music video for “… obsessed” on the day Guts (spilled) dropped.
The next new addition, “girl i’ve always been”, has a completely different sound from “obsessed”. Where “obsessed” leans heavily into punk-rock, “girl i’ve always been” is an acoustic pop song that almost feels like it could belong to the country genre. Where this could easily be whiplash-inducing if you’re listening to the album in order, Rodrigo has a talent for making the different styles she brings together in her albums feel cohesive, carrying on with the same youthful, emotional themes. “girl i’ve always been” introduces a sound to Rodrigo’s music that we haven’t heard from her before–and pulls it off, too.
The next song, “scared of my guitar”, will remind fans of beloved songs off of Sour such as “favorite crime” and “enough for you”, all about coping with heartbreak in some form or another. While “scared of my guitar” is reminiscent of other songs in Rodrigo’s discography, it still manages to stand on its own and be memorable through its heart-wrenching melody and lyrics.
The fourth song in the new lineup, “stranger”, is a cross between the previous two, certainly sadder than “girl i’ve always been” but indicating a more healed version of Rodrigo than in “scared of my guitar”. But it’s the final song Guts (spilled) that perfectly ties the deluxe album together. This is the most recently written song of Rodrigo’s, and it ends the album on a joyous and uplifting note. “so american” is a love song, and it’s proof that Rodrigo is just as good at tearing out her fans’ hearts as she is as healing them.