Just hours after Olivia Rodrigo dropped her highly anticipated sophomore album, "GUTS," Rolling Stone has given its stamp of approval and even declared that the album is an "instant classic."
With expectations high for the 20-year-old singer following the huge success of her debut album, "Sour," Rolling Stone's review of Rodrigo's new album is a welcomed surprise for fans and an intrigue for listeners who are yet to be introduced to the singer.
"Her excellent new 'GUTS' is another instant classic, with her most ambitious, intimate, and messy songs yet," the publication wrote.
Rolling Stone also praised the singer's songwriting ability, "She's so witty, so pissed off, so angsty at the same time, the way only a rock star can be. And this is the album of a truly brilliant rock star."
Olivia Rodrigo Releases Another Hit Album
Aside from the positive review from Rolling Stone, Rodrigo's new album also reportedly earned a score of 98 on Metacritic-with six reviews.
"'GUTS' sees Rodrigo smash her way out of the confines of small screen life and arrive kicking and screaming into her real life," The Independent wrote. "No more red lights or stop signs in her way."
NME praised the "Bad Idea Right?" singer for her "real power, range, and versatility."
Fans lauded Rodrigo and her new album, as some even claimed that it could be the "best pop album of 2023."
"Actually deserved. This album is ridiculous," another added.
"She broke the sophomore album curse [for real]."
Olivia Rodrigo Opens Up About New Album 'GUTS'
It has been two years since the "Vampire" singer released her first album, which cemented her music career and landed her on everyone's radar.
She has opened up on several occasions how she felt pressured to release a follow-up just as good, if not better, than the first.
"I think the first time around I was just filled with so much adrenaline, I was like, 'Okay, wow, this is happening. I've never done this before,'" Rodrigo said, noting how different it felt to release "GUTS" from "Sour."
"This time it feels a little more real and it's a scary thing to know that people are going to be curious and they'll maybe have a lot of ears on it."
She also revealed that the album has given her confidence as a songwriter, amid the pressure from fans, fellow artists, and the music industry.
"In hindsight, I think that a lot of this album is about the confusion that comes with becoming a young adult and figuring out your place in this world and figuring out who you want to be and who you want to hang out with and all of that stuff."
