Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS (LP) - Lavender Vinyl

GRAMMY®-winning recording artist Olivia Rodrigo will release her new album, GUTS on September 8th via Geffen Records. She recorded the album with producer Daniel Nigro, who also collaborated with her on SOUR, her chart-topping, 4x Platinum debut album.

“For me, this album is about growing pains and trying to figure out who I am at this point in my life,” says Olivia Rodrigo. “I feel like I grew 10 years between the ages of 18 and 20—it was such an intense period of awkwardness and change. I think that’s all just a natural part of growth, and hopefully the album reflects that.” On “vampire,” the album’s first single, Rodrigo’s increased maturity and bold confidence are apparent.

"Guts is the upcoming second studio album by American singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo. It is scheduled to be released on September 8, 2023, through Geffen Records. The lead single, "Vampire", was released on June 30, 2023. It debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 and scored Rodrigo her third number-one single in the US. The second single, "Bad Idea Right?", was released on August 11, 2023. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart.

Background

On May 21, 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her debut studio album, Sour, to huge commercial success. Produced by Dan Nigro, it became the most-streamed album of 2021 and won Rodrigo three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. She embarked on the Sour Tour, which consisted of 48 shows across North America and Europe, in spring 2022. In August 2021, Rodrigo revealed that her upcoming record would "probably a lot happier" than her debut. Talking to Billboard in February 2022, she confirmed Nigro will return as producer and she had a title and "a few songs" ready. Rodrigo aimed to "get as much done as possible" before embarking on the Sour Tour. In late 2022, while revealing her Spotify Wrapped, she confirmed that new music was underway. On January 8, 2023, she posted a clip which featured a piano-driven track on her Instagram.

In early June 2023, Rodrigo's website was updated with a countdown that was set to end on June 30, a date she had also teased in late May. On June 13, Rodrigo officially announced the album's lead single "Vampire", slated for release on June 30, and revealed the single cover. On June 20, she revealed another Easter egg by leaving her fans a voicemail greeting, which turned out to be the first preview of "Vampire" and played a piano-driven instrumental. On June 26, 2023, her webstore revealed the official album title, Guts, and its release date. Following this, Rodrigo posted the artwork and officially announced the album on social media. In a statement, Rodrigo shared that the album is about "growing pains" and figuring out who she is at this point in her life. She felt like she "grew 10 years between the ages of 18 and 20", a process she describes as a natural part of "growth", which she hopes to reflect with the record.

Rodrigo created Guts at the age of 19, while experiencing "lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness & good old fashioned teen angst". Described by her as a "time capsule", the record spans from "wrenching, cinematic" ballads to "playful and insouciant" songs. Rodrigo abstained herself from songwriting for six months following Sour's release, so that she could "live a life in order to be able to write about it". Work on the album concluded about a week before "Vampire" was released. In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, Rodrigo revealed she had the title in mind since the time she was making Sour. It was influenced by the "interesting contexts" she noticed people use it in: "spill your guts, hate your guts".

Release and promotion

Guts will be released on September 8, 2023, via CD, cassette, and streaming platforms, as well as three box set editions. Preorders for the album began on June 26, 2023. Vinyl LPs, in various colored variants, will be exclusively available at Rodrigo's webstore, Urban Outfitters, Walmart, Amazon, or HMV. A Target-exclusive CD and vinyl edition of Guts featuring an alternate cover will also be available upon release. On August 1, 2023, Rodrigo revealed the tracklist.

Cover artwork

Photographed by Larissa Hoffman, the standard cover artwork of Guts depicts Rodrigo reclining on a purple floor, biting her thumb, while wearing a frilly black dress and scarlet lipstick, with four letter rings spelling out the album title on her fingers; her nails are painted with chipped black nail polish. Like her debut album Sour, purple—in a darker shade—is again the dominant color through the artwork and promotional material of Guts.

Singles

"Vampire", the lead single of Guts, was released on June 30, 2023, via streaming platforms, 7-inch, and CD single formats; the latter two additionally feature a demo version of the song. An accompanying music video for the song, directed by Petra Collins in L.A., was uploaded to Rodrigo's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. The song debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming her third number-one. It also topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

"Bad Idea Right?" was announced as the second single via Rodrigo's social media on August 8, 2023, and was released four days later. She stated that the song "shows another side of Guts that's a little more fun & playful". It reached the top 10 in Australia, the US, and UK. The song also landed atop the Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart." - Wikipedia