Author: Grace Srinivasan
This week, The Anchor sat down with two Hope College students who are fans of singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo to discuss her latest album. Rodrigo is a promising singer, best known for his participation in the TV show High School Musical Musical Series. She recently wowed the music world with the debut of her second album. GUTS. From marketing to the album’s overall release, Rodrigo has done a phenomenal job of reaching her target audience. The album features thoughts on heartbreak, maturity and growth. Let’s hear what they have to say!
The Anchor started by asking what their favorite song from the album was. Alyssa Segura (23) mentioned a “teenage dream.” “I thought ‘teenage dream’ was very honest and kind of touched on the depth of who you are as a young woman and you don’t necessarily want to compare it.”
Another student, Nyomi Oliver-Martins (23), said her favorite song was “pretty is ugly.” “…you go on social media and see all these beautiful women and it’s very easy to look at them and feel insecure about how you look. I love how in “pretty is not pretty” we put on makeup and change our hair and do all these things, but it still feels like it’s not enough. We need to realize that we are already beautiful.”
When both fans were asked about what their first listen to the album was like, Segura responded, “(It) definitely had a lot of amazing lyrical moments as well as amazing sonic moments… I feel like she really stepped in. it’s pop-rock era, and I thought it was cool because I really haven’t heard an album like this in a long time.”
Oliver-Martins said: “I felt happy and sad and had a mixture of emotions. I felt like I could scream, happen, jump all the way and reflect on myself. It was a mixture, it was all at once.”
When Segura and Oliver-Martins compared Rodrigo’s first album, Sourwith her latest album, GUTSthey both agreed that GUTS more interesting and expands the content of his first album.
Segura compared Rodrigo’s stylistic choices between the two albums, saying: “GUTS it’s definitely more of a pop rock album… which I like. I think they are very different, but I think GUTS talks about her growing up and having a new perspective on her relationships and what she’s going through. I think they both serve different purposes, so it’s hard to choose which one I like better.”
Unlike Segura, Oliver-Martins believed that relevance GUTS made it a more enjoyable album than Sour: “I feel Sour it was like a breakup and GUTS it’s more like a breakup, but also after a breakup, how you feel when you’re alone, going through it and everything that happens after a breakup. I like it GUTS more because I can relate to it more and I feel like I can scream and relate to it more than Sour“
The students were then asked where they thought Rodrigo came up with the album title: GUTS.
Segura said, “…the lyrics definitely seem to come from deep within her personality and the thoughts in her head that don’t necessarily come out in normal day-to-day conversations. I think she acknowledges things that people may find difficult or difficult to articulate. I would say that honesty is the main idea of this album.”
Oliver-Martins said, “I think she called the album GUTS because it’s like you’re throwing everything out, all these emotions and feelings, and letting it go. She just puts it all out there and it’s kind of dirty.”
When listening to music or an album, especially during its release, there is usually a song that the listener gravitates towards. The Anchor asked these students what song they liked best when they first listened to the album.
Certainly said: “I love the lyrics and the ballad of ‘logical’ and it’s a very heartbreaking and beautifully performed song.”
Oliver-Martins replied, “The Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl”… because I know how awkward it is to be in social groups and that what you’re saying is wrong. I rethink everything I say… Sometimes I say too much and think, “Why did I say that?”
As a final question, Segura and Oliver-Martins were asked which lyrics from the album were their favorite and whether they had any special meaning.
Segura said: “From the ‘teenage dream’: ‘…you have your whole life ahead of you, you’re only 19.’ It’s hard to want to grow up and stay young at the same time and I feel like these lyrics are making me rethink my last year of adolescence and how there’s definitely still a lot to learn… I have to give myself grace and progress in life and learn everything to grow into a person who I want to be. It won’t be easy and I’m not going to do everything right, but then again, I’m only 19.”
Oliver-Martins said: “Perhaps, “my immortal love, (now) I hold it as a grudge.” A little personal: my father was not a part of my life. I remember when I was little, I loved him very much, and he made promises that he could not keep… I resent this love for him because he did not deserve it. So when I hear ‘offense,’ it takes me back to when I was younger.”
When we interact with new works of art like Rodrigo’s album GUTS, it is important for consumers to think about such questions. It’s one thing to scream lyrics in a car, but it’s another thing entirely to understand why the lyrics resonate so deeply with us and what message the artist is trying to convey with his work.
Photo credit: Apple Music