With over 60 million monthly listeners, three Grammys, seven Billboard music awards, and two successful albums reaching number one on the charts at just 20 years old, Olivia Rodrigo has quickly become a household name internationally.
Rodrigo made her pop debut with her hit single, “All I Want,” followed by “Drivers License,” with the latter breaking Spotify’s record for most streamed non-holiday song in one day. Soon after, she released her hit album “Sour,” which has received worldwide attention and accolades, breaking the record for the most weekly streams for a debut album in the United Kingdom.
Rodrigo’s newest album, “Guts,” has received huge amounts of popularity, but some seemingly mixed reviews. “Guts” is classified as a rock/pop-rock album, with most describing it as a fusion of the two styles. Some compliment Rodrigo’s bravery to step into a previously unexplored style for her, but others believe she should have stuck to her strictly pop roots. This opinion leads to the inevitable question: Which Olivia Rodrigo album is better?
“I think ‘Guts’ is better because it’s more mature than Sour, and the versatility of the different kinds of songs is really good,” Lower Dauphin freshman Anushka Verma describes. “It also has a kind of different vibe, because ‘Sour’ was kind of like a constant stream of tears, ‘Guts’ has a bunch of songs for different moods”.
Not everyone feels this way, as “Sour” has amassed a cult following since its publication. Many believe that the pop-rock music style does not suit Rodrigo, and would prefer she return to her original roots. Senior Abigail DeSantis explains how “I like it, but it will never be ‘Sour’”. Many listeners think that “Sour” has a unique quality that “Guts” does not, despite “Guts” being a more rock/pop style album.
Overall, both albums have received large amounts of praise from critics and fans alike, and “Guts” album and tour will no doubt be a massive success. Even though “Guts” has some mixed reviews, it is a definitive hit album for this year, and fans await the next release with great anticipation.
