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Many albums don’t need a deluxe version. In fact, it’s pure capitalistic greed from consumers and producers alike that allow artists to create these versions of their albums with only a few extra “never-before-heard” songs (that have definitely been making the rounds on Twitter for months prior), slapping a “deluxe” sticker on the front and calling it a day. 

Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album, GUTS, was fine on its own. Lyrically, it cemented itself as an angsty teenage conceptual body of work, honing in on themes of heartbreak and embarrassment. Production wise, she was reviving the iconic early 2000s pop-punk sound with songs like “ballad of a homeschooled girl” and “all-american bitch.” 

However, in all of its glory, the album was 2-dimensional with songs that sounded too similar to one another and a repetitive theme of talking rather than singing (i.e.: “get him back” and “bad idea right?”). 

Rodrigo released GUTS (spilled) on Friday and, while deluxe releases are usually a cash grab for cult fandoms, it completely elevated the original album. 

Starting with “obsessed,” the singer recounts the age-old tale of obsession and delusion. Taking the role of the current girlfriend, she talks about how often she thinks of her boyfriend’s ex regardless of how much he reassures her that he’s over that.

The song is a pop-punk anthem that truly cements Rodrigo as someone who is leagues ahead of her peers, both lyrically and production wise. 

It then transitions to a more stripped back sound with “girl i’ve always been,” an acoustic ballad with a bit of a country twang, something currently unexplored in Rodrigo’s discography. If this song is any indication of how she might sound should she choose to make a genre switch, it’s clear that she could easily dominate any field she chose to jump to. 

The song explores the idea of someone saying “you’ve changed.” While Rodrigo may have found herself in unprecedented situations given her newfound stardom, she knows at her core that she hasn’t changed, ergo she’s still the girl she’s always been. 

“scared of my guitar” is a slower track with a soft and dreamy guitar to help drive home the point of the song. While Rodrigo may be able to lie to her partner about how she truly feels, her guitar is able to see right through her. It might sound silly but similar to songwriting, these inanimate objects have a way to bring out the truest emotions in a person. 

The song ascends toward the bridge and with that, the listener is left with the lingering idea of pretending something is love because you’re afraid you’ll never be able to find anything better.

The penultimate track, “stranger,” is another twangy country sound, similar to “girl i’ve always been” but a bit softer and a lot more forgiving. She sings, “you’re just a stranger I know everything about,” which, while rather simple, is truly a devastating lyric. Someone you once knew like the back of your hand is now longer a part of your life.

But Rodrigo doesn’t sing about how hurtful that idea might be. Instead she sings a song of revival and healing. They might be a stranger now, but so are all the harmful memories they brought with them and she’s okay with leaving all of that in the past. 

GUTS (spilled) ends with “so american,” the song that truly made me feel like a deluxe album was necessary. GUTS covered most emotions and universal experiences that people go through. Jealousy, embarrassment, heartbreak, confusion, the whole nine. However, Rodrigo had never delved into a running theme that causes all of these emotions: love.

“so american” marks the singer’s first ever love song (that wasn’t part of the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series soundtrack). Going back to that upbeat pop-punk sound from “obsessed” and other GUTS tracks, “so american” talks about how she’s finally found someone who appreciates her and thinks she’s “so american.” 

Prior to the deluxe, GUTS was an album that centered around the idea of spilling everything you have inside of you. But without love, how could you do any of that? 

GUTS (spilled) actually represents this fully and unapologetically, showcasing her impressive pen while also allowing her to explore different sounds, proving that Rodrigo is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.