Gen Z have found their new idol in Olivia Rodrigo, the former Disney star who's become a witty chronicler of bad breakups, youthful regret and the invasive malevolence of modern celebrity. 

Amidst an avalanche of publicity and elaborate music videos, her second album Guts has arrived with incredible fanfare, not least because people love its punchy maximalist pop. Want to read what digital ink has been spilled on the album? Then check out our review roundup below. 

Pitchfork

8.0/10

‘Guts, her uproarious second album, is a collection of bratty rocker-chick anthems and soul-searching ballads that could slot into the soundtrack of any classic high school flick, from 10 Things I Hate About You to this year’s ludicrous queer sex comedy Bottoms. While it might seem tailored to zoomers, several generations will hear the music of their youth: from Blondie and Toni Basil, to Hole and Letters to Cleo, to Avril Lavigne and the Veronicas, to the more recent Lorde. Rodrigo faces a familiar cast of antagonists: shitty boys, social anxiety, bad self-image, and competitive obsessions with other beautiful women.’ 
(Words Cat Zhang)
Read Pitchfork’s full review. 

The Guardian

4/5

‘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 underlined by the presence of count-ins and discussions among the musicians about which song they’re playing next, 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 spectre of early 00s rap-rock.’ 
(Words by Alexis Petridis)
Read The Guardian’s full review.

NME

5/5

‘On Guts, Olivia Rodrigo goes to war for every young woman who has been unable to articulate why it is so belittling not to be taken seriously. In the orbit of her urgent and riotous second album, the 20-year-old turns her own vulnerabilities into a rallying cry: here, she’s a songwriter of control, diving headfirst into the collective female experience while also pursuing adventure, desire and relief. “I’m grateful all the time,” Rodrigo repeats on opener “All-American Bitch”, “I’m pretty when I cry.” She adopts a coo-like vocal as she continues to sing of how, in general, women are expected to moderate their emotions in the public eye. This record throws a sparkling firebomb at that grim, shared reality.'
(Words by Sophie Williams)
Read NME’s full review. 

The Independent

5/5

‘Guts ends with a tender, hotel lobby piano ballad called “Teenage Dream” on which Rodrigo gives herself permission to let go of the prodigal perfectionism that has driven her career to date. She conjures the memory of blowing out candles on her 19th birthday cake while fearing “they already got all the best parts of me/ I’m sorry that I couldn’t always be your teenage dream”. It’s a tender evocation of the grief for childhood that is commonly experienced at her age, intensified in her case by the fact she missed out on the usual high school experience to appear in a fictional high school on the telly. Guts sees Rodrigo smash her way out of the confines of small screen life and arrive kicking and screaming into her real life. No more red lights or stop signs in her way.’ 
(Words by Helen Brown)
Read The Independent’s full review.

Spin 

No rating

‘Like her Disney predecessors, Rodrigo may have realized early on that being a role model is an unsurmountable task, but if Guts proves anything, it’s that she doesn’t need to aspire to be one. There’s enough magic in the unfiltered candour of a teen girl’s diary entries to keep her fans wanting more.’ 
(Words by Ilana Kaplan)
Read Spin’s full review. 

Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts is out now on Geffen Records.