Olivia Rodrigo – GUTS

[kimberly]

Sept 11, 2023 19:44:58 GMT -5 Ling-Ling said:

Haha! Never you babe. I admittedly am pretty unemotional (an Aquarius and an INTP... we're talking cyborg here). But I'm always here for some drama (i.e gay), she just doesn't speak to me yet in terms of her more balladic side. I'll probably appreciate her more when she's matured vocally and sonically. Lorde and Lana came out of the box sounding like 50 year old women who had been through some sh*t, so it never threw me off like it does with her.

Lol maybe it is the Aquarius in us... 💀

[Ivy Leegue™]

Damn Aquarius cyborgs! One of my best friends from HS falls in the same category, but he is also a big feeler. But, he is also into astrology and probably knows where his setting sun is and all that, so I believe y'all if you say it. For some reasons, I thought Aquariuses were big softies, LOL. I love y'all both though! I should specify that I don't even dislike her bratty songs and I do think they are written brilliantly, with a certain sardonic, sarcastic wit, but my feelings win out. I will bop and throw myself around to the other songs though!

[kimberly]

😂 astrology is fun here and there but I don't believe it's, well, "logical" to generalize people based on the month they were born in. I cried multiple times watching Barbie, I do have emotions! but I'm a professional at dealing with bullshit.

[Ivy Leegue™]

...and I just fall apart like Olivia! But, hey, at least I know myself and am self-aware!

[Codex]

I’m loving the bratty songs about falling for toxic guys 😍 as a 27 yo gay I can really relate to the mentality of a 19 year old girl

[👑 Eloquent ™]

I am appalled by Love Is Embarrassing's performance on Spotify! It should be within the top 5 streamed tracks from the album! I'm just bitter cause it's one of my favs. lol

[Ryan]

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

Sept 12, 2023 2:06:49 GMT -5 👑 Eloquent ™ said:

I am appalled by Love Is Embarrassing's performance on Spotify! It should be within the top 5 streamed tracks from the album! I'm just bitter cause it's one of my favs. lol

me too, and I can't even blame its placement on the album anymore, since 'the grudge' is doing really fine.

[born]

After a few listens, I can say I'm all in. I wish I'd remembered to do my first-listen review. My first listen was pleasant though none of the songs stood out to me and sounded very similar to SOUR. But now, I can talk.

I really like what she's doing and I definitely don't mind that her first two albums sound like they belong in the same universe as two halves of a project. Women should feel free to stay in their lane and not have to redefine their sound and image in every era. Especially when all of the top male artists (Drake, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran) have released sonically and thematically similar albums back to back at some point of their career.

The backlash also comes right on time. There just can't be a young woman rising in the industry without a proper hate train. Olivia's situation reminds me of Taylor's hate train and how everyone undermined her talent, lyricism and input in her music, early in her career. It just sucks to see a big part of that coming from the latter's fans (which is why I get to see it firsthand). Women can thrive together. Olivia has a bright future ahead. I'm really rooting for this girl.

And now, back to streaming.

the highs: bad idea right?, love is embarrassing, pretty isn't pretty
the lows: lacy, get him back!

[Ivy Leegue™]

Currently sitting at a 91 on Metacritic out of 18 reviews. Not expecting a dip from that, really. Props to Slant (among others) for acknowledging how soft Pretty Isn't Pretty is. I felt the same way about Pretty Hurts by Beyoncé when I first heard it. Given the subject matter, it just doesn't pack the punch it needs to, but it is pleasant.

[PerPlexied]

She has... zero stage presence?

[Nick]

Definitely a good sophomore album. Curious to see her final numbers on Friday.

[kimberly]

get him back! music video:

[ampersand]

I bought the indie-exclusive lavender from my local record store. I did not realize there was a bonus track. Real sapphic vibes from the one on my copy lol.

[👑 Eloquent ™]

I absolutely LOVE "Get Him Back" and its music video with the "Ironic" references! She hit this one out of the park! So infectious and can't wait to see it at the top!

[Ivy Leegue™]

Her VMA performance was borderline terrible. Also, the transition between songs was...a choice. People in the audience were laughing and also looking confused.

[kimberly]

I wasn't impressed either. it was fine. nothing noteworthy. Selena Gomez was confused, she didn't get the "vampire" music video reference.

[Ｓｏｕｎｄｃｌ🕤ｃｋ]

it was a mess and I love it!

[ampersand]

Yeah, the performance wasn't good. It was painful to hear her struggle through "Vampire." I didn't mind "get him back," but you could barely hear her over the backing vocals (maybe for the best lol). Hopefully, she grows as a performer.

[daddy]

Lol I loved it 😂

The camerawork was a mess. She just radiates this youthful energy that I find so… fun?

[kimberly]

lol get him back has been stuck in my head all morning so the joke’s on me, I guess!

[Codex]

Sept 12, 2023 2:04:06 GMT -5 Codex said:

I’m loving the bratty songs about falling for toxic guys 😍 as a 27 yo gay I can really relate to the mentality of a 19 year old girl

yass and now she's coming to Oslo with the Guts Tour. Miss Olivia you have 8 months to grow some stage presence.

[kimberly]

Sept 11, 2023 12:47:42 GMT -5 kimberly said:

Guts World Tour with dates in USA, Canada, Europe & Asia to be announced soon, allegedly.

Europe & US announced. she’s playing arenas thank god

[YourFaveIsAFlop]

Sept 12, 2023 8:49:47 GMT -5 PerPlexied said:

She has... zero stage presence?

Negative stage presence.

I understand why the kids like her, but as somebody who lived through the 90s & 00s, she goes beyond influenced and moves straight into rip off. 

She's pretty though.

[Deleted]

So after digesting the album for a few days I have to say my favorites are vampire and love is embarrassing

I wonder what my Top 2 will be in a few weeks/months tho

[Ivy Leegue™]

She needs some vocal training before I spend what I'm sure is going to be a decent chunk of change to see her live, especially at the Moody Center in Austin, but good for her!

[👑 Eloquent ™]

I didn't think her performance was nearly as bad as what people are saying, but hey that's just me. I thought she did good/looked fantastic.

[Ling-Ling]

She definitely lacks stage presence and charisma (that goes for her videos as well). And she's vocally inconsistent. But that's nothing exclusive to her, it goes for almost all performers that popped up in the last decade. The industry doesn't build stars like that anymore. Tastes have change, talent acquisition has changed and the training/commitment is almost nonexistent.

[Choco]

Gotta be honest I have found it really hard to connect with this album so far. SOUR was way more instant. I like a lot of lyricism and I think it will eventually grow on me.

And kudos on not serving a SOUR remake like I feared after "vampire". There's some nice experimentation going on here. I hope the vinyl secret songs eventually escape purgatory and go into streaming services.

[YourFaveIsAFlop]

Sept 13, 2023 15:43:40 GMT -5 👑 Eloquent ™ said:

I didn't think her performance was nearly as bad as what people are saying, but hey that's just me. I thought she did good/looked fantastic.

The transition between the songs wasn't well executed. I was expecting the curtain to reopen at some point, not just have the olivia clones dancing around in front of a solid colored curtain for 2 minutes.