The release of any artist’s sophomore album is already a daunting task, especially when one’s debut release was awarded three Grammys and crowned Rolling Stones’ Album of the Year, yet Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” knocks it out of the park. Both critics and fans unanimously agree that “GUTS” is an instant classic with its sophisticated lyrics and emotional, gut-wrenching ballads. Here are my top three songs:

          1. “get him back!”

I knew after my first listen that “get him back!” would be my favorite track off the album. With a similar aesthetic to Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” track eight pays homage to teenage spunk and the power of female rage.

          2. “logical”

Track seven is arguably the most intimate, raw ballad on “GUTS.” Rodrigo shares a powerful lesson about the toxic nature of love; how it can make us question our beliefs and challenge our own personal logic.

          3. “teenage dream”

The album’s climactic finale beautifully moves the audience full circle, transporting us back to the opening lines of “Brutal,” Rodrigo’s first track from her debut album “SOUR.” Track 12 is Gen Z’s “Vienna”: a delicate narrative about future uncertainties and the importance of focusing on the present.