Olivia Rodrigo’s five new tracks highlight the impressive nature of her musical and lyrical abilities.
Released on Sept. 8, 2023, Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS is 39 minutes in length and 12 songs long. Intimate and messy, the original record managed to avoid many of the pitfalls associated with the sophomore album. The record was a success for Rodrigo, selling 302,000 units in its first week and having all 12 of its tracks spend time in the top 40 of Billboard’s Hot 100.
On March 19, the singer announced that a deluxe version of GUTS would be released on March 22 during the first of two concerts she played at United Center in Chicago. GUTS (spilled) would feature all 12 of the album’s original tracks while also being accompanied by five new ones: “obsessed,” “girl i’ve always been,” “scared of my guitar,” “stranger” and “so american.”
While all of the new songs on GUTS (spilled) feel a little more stripped back than their previously released counterparts, this less manufactured sound isn’t bad considering GUTS did sometimes feel slightly overproduced.
The first bonus song, “obsessed,” was circulating on TikTok long before its release. The bass heavy track is the epitome of Rodrigo’s angry pop-rock sound, feeling the most closely connected to the sound of GUTS than any of the other bonus songs. Featuring a heavy electric guitar line, smashing symbols and Rodrigo’s wild vocals, it’s easy to see why “obsessed” was so anticipated by the singer’s fans.
The second bonus song, “girl i’ve always been,” is a stripped back jazz track that makes room for Rodrigo to explore a new, more country-inspired vocal style. A fun mix of acoustic guitar and a folky percussion, “girl i’ve always been” inspires the listener to hold on to who they are, even in the face of a partner who tries to tell them they are acting “too different.”
The third bonus song is called “scared of my guitar.” Quiet and tender, this simple track features only acoustic guitar, piano and a string section, highlighting Rodrigo’s beautiful vocals. The resonant timbre and haunting tonality of “scared of my guitar” sucks the listener into the singer’s plights, inviting them in and allowing them to claim Rodrigo’s hurt as their own.
“stranger” is the fourth bonus song. An acoustic, folk-sounding ballad, “stranger” plays on Rodrigo’s greatest song writing strengths, adding another hit to the “I’m going to get better” genre of heartbreak songs.
Finally, the fifth bonus song is “so american.” A high energy, raucous track, “so american” is the the first happy love song Rodrigo has released. Dancing on the line between pop and pop rock, this final track was an interesting choice to wrap up a pretty angsty album. But who knows, maybe “so american” is the future of Rodrigo’s discography.
The bonus tracks on GUTS (spilled) follow in the footsteps of the songs that came before them, refusing to be anything if not just as successful as the track list on the original album. And if her new work sounds anything like these bonus tracks, then her listeners have a lot to look forward to.