Words: ROBIN MUMFORD
Two years after the sharp rise and sweeping success of her debut album ‘Sour’, featuring two UK Number 1 singles, ‘Good 4 U’ and ‘drivers license’, that were synonymous with summer ’21 , Olivia Rodrigo has this week announced her highly anticipated sophomore album, out September 8th later this year.
‘Guts’ is the second album in a glittering musical career for Rodrigo, who marked the announcement with the release of lead single ‘Vampire’ that was released this past Friday. It is expected that she will work again with producer Dan Nigro after he helped compose the bulk of the breakout star’s first studio release.
In a hand-written note shared to her fans, Olivia elaborated on the creation of Guts, where she said: "I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth, a year that for me, was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness and good old fashioned teen angst.
"I made it with my friend Dan in between New York and LA and I'm so very proud of it. I cannot express how excited I am to embark on this new chapter of my life."
For the youngest UK artist to ever hold the country’s Number 1 single and album simultaneously, expectations to continue an upward trajectory are tangible. But with ‘Vampire’ offering her fans a glimpse into the future, it doesn’t disappoint.
The new single is a cut-throat pop showstopper that eschews complacency to set about continuing the 20-year-old’s blinding musical adventure. It entails a baleful piano-backed lament about a boy who drains you, ensuring the necessity of Rodrigo’s relatability is kept untouched, though the sonic invariably changes from release to release.
‘GUTS’ is available for Pre-Order/Pre-save here.