GRAMMY Nominees: GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo

With a grand total of 74 minutes of music at 21 years old, Olivia Rodrigo has chalked up a staggering 13 nominations and three wins already at the GRAMMY awards. With her sophomore album GUTS, Olivia Rodrigo came back with a bang, leaving behind the butterflies and heartbreak of her debut and crashing onto the scene with black nail polish, untouchable power vocals, and a badass attitude. I'll be honest, at first I was skeptical of GUTS and its distinctive departure from SOUR, but I've grown to love the cheek, messiness, and raw, overdramatic emotion across this compilation of stunning piano ballads and edgy pop-rock bangers that make Olivia a star in her own right.

Stand-out tracks: "all-american bitch" “get him back!” “the grudge”

My favorites: “making the bed” “love is embarrassing” “pretty isn’t pretty”

Don't be deceived by the simple guitar and soft vocals at the opening of "all-american bitch," GUTS is just getting started with its chaotic, overdramatic opening track. The juxtaposition between the skull-rattling chorus and lighthearted verses makes this another attention-grabber of an opening track for Olivia. And the chest-heaving screaming that immediately cuts into the "All the time/I'm grateful all the time/I'm sexy and I'm kind/I'm pretty when I cry" of the outro that also blends seamlessly into "bad idea right?" is absolutely incredible. I won't lie, I actually hated “bad idea right?” when it was released as a single, but in the context of the full album it fits perfectly, and the guitar solo bridge and the devil may care attitude of the chorus make it fun.

"vampire" served as the lead single from GUTS, marking Olivia Rodrigo's first return to music since the release of her debut SOUR in May of 2021. This one is fun to scream-sing in your car thanks to Olivia's sky-high vocals soaring through the "I used to think I was smart/But you made me look so naive/The way you sold me for parts/As you sunk your teeth into me" of the chorus, but honestly it doesn't stand out as anything incredible in the context of the full album. "lacy" is my personal skip on GUTS, but I won't deny that the vocal layering of the production on this track is nothing short of stunning.

GUTS ventures into more of a pop-rock sound than SOUR ever did, and "ballad of a homeschooled girl" is the pinnacle of Olivia Rodrigo's rockstar side. It's intentionally messy with electronically distorted vocals, fast-paced word-vomit lyrics, and therapeutically-screamed repetitive "It's social suicide. Wanna curl up and die!" This song is so utterly chaotic it almost makes you lose sight of the social anxiety narrative it's attempting to depict.

“making the bed” is one of the few tracks on GUTS that earns a place in my all-time favorite Olivia Rodrigo songs. This one is incredibly powerful, articulating with incredible detail the crushing weight of anxiety on day-to-day life and the impact it can have on relationships. “I’m so tired of being the girl that I am/Every good thing has turned into something I dread/And I’m playing the victim so well in my head/But it’s me who’s been making the bed” is a stunning way to state, “It’s not you, it’s me.” Following up “making the bed” with “logical” is about the most painful decision Olivia could have made in tracklisting; “logical” illustrates the pain of realizing that someone isn’t who you believed them to be, with gut-twisting lyrics like “You got me thinking/Two plus two equals five/and I’m the love of your life.” Ouch.

Better wipe your tears away quickly, because with “get him back!” we “wanna make him feel jealous, wanna make him feel bad.” This is Olivia Rodrigo at her best—cheeky, clever, naïve, and pissed off. The lyrical play back and forth of wanting to “get him back” either in terms of wanting to get back together or seek revenge is incredibly well executed, and “wanna meet his mom/just to tell her son sucks” is one of about a million absolutely hilarious and highly therapeutic-to-scream-sing lines in this instant hit. This theme carries into “love is embarrassing,” which is the dancier, poppier, more self-deprecating sequel to the previous track. There isn’t a whole lot of substance to this one, but “Just watch as I crucify myself/for some weird second-string/loser who's not worth mentioning/my God, love's embarrassing as hell” is yet another therapeutic-to-scream sing lyric on GUTS.

If you thought we were done with heartbreak on GUTS, “the grudge” rounds out the piano ballads with the deepest ache thus far. “You built me up to watch me fall/you have everything and you still want more” is sung with soul-crushing passion, and ending the track with open-ended “It takes strength to forgive/I’m not quite sure I’m there yet/It takes strength to forgive but…” makes the heartbreak feel palpable. This is about as close to “driver’s license” as you’ll find on GUTS.

“pretty isn’t pretty” is the other track on GUTS that is one of my all-time favorites of Olivia’s—this one feels like the introspective sequel to SOUR’s “jealousy, jealousy.” If you resonated with America Ferrera’s monologue in the Barbie movie, chances are that “pretty isn’t pretty” will hit pretty hard. Don’t be fooled by the boppy beat, “pretty isn’t pretty enough” hurts.

The messy, heartbroken chaos of GUTS concludes the only way that makes sense—with more heartbroken, messy chaos. On the surface, “teenage dream” seems to reference the lyric from SOUR’s “brutal,” when Olivia asked “Where’s my fucking teenage dream?” and structurally parallels Billie Eilish’s 2021 title-track “Happier Than Ever,” with its soft, pared-back opening that crescendos into blown-out head-banging “They all say it gets better/it gets better the more you grow/Yeah, they all say that it gets better/Well, what if I don’t.”

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

GUTS is many, many things. Defiance of a sophomore slump. A charismatic teenage addiction, a soul-searching musical rampage. A rock-solid pop-rock album. But unfortunately, GUTS is not even close to the Album of the Year. At best, GUTS could follow in SOUR's footsteps as the winner of Pop Vocal Album.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED

GRAMMY Nominees: The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monaé

Stand-out tracks: "Float (feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80" "A Dry Red"

My favorites: "The Rush (feat. Nia Long & Amaarae)" "Only Have Eyes 42"

The album opens with "Float (feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80)," which serves as a lighthearted introduction to the album. This track is confident and carefree, which sets the tone for the next 32 minutes of music on The Age of Pleasure. The theme of this album is summed up perfectly in one simple line:"I had to protect all my energy/I'm feelin' much lighter, now I float."

"Champagne Shit" keeps up the tone of confidence while introducing a cool and bold aura. This one transitions seamlessly into its outro, "Black Sugar Beach," before the album switches gears a little bit with "Phenomenal (feat. Doechii)." This one is a pared back from the dance-y and inviting first few tracks of the album. Instrumentally, "Phenomenal (feat. Doechii)" is fascinating, with trumpets and synth-y pianos paired with jazzy percussion and sultry lyrics.

Another pair of tracks that fade seamlessly from one to another are "Haute" and "Oooh La La (feat. Grace Jones)." These two with "Lipstick Lover" make up the sexiest part of the album, where Janelle holds nothing back about what she means by entering The Age of Pleasure.

The album pulls back again instrumentally, ironically, with "The Rush (feat. Nia Long & Amaarae)." This one has a nice reggae-style production with a romantic guitar that sings along in the background, complementing Janelle's soft-spoken, supple vocals. Again, this one transitions seamlessly into the interlude "The French 75 (feat. Sister Nancy)."

"Paid in Pleasure" is the pick-up track we need to spark interest going into the conclusion of the album. The Age of Pleasure ends on a strong foot with the most truly romantic track on the album, "Only Have Eyes 42." This one is lighthearted and sweet, with lyrics like "Cause you're the one, you're the one/Double the fun, triple the time for love." The album concludes with an acoustic guitar-led "A Dry Red," which beautifully layers Janelle Monaé's floaty and resounding melodic vocals and a simple drum pattern. This one wraps up the feel of the full project in a soft, satisfying-yet-open-ended conclusion.

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

As a concept album that presents as a complete, thorough project, The Age of Pleasure is extremely well executed. However, in terms of theming, lyricism, and production, there really isn't anything that makes this album stand out as something truly great. When compared to other nominees in the Album of the Year categories, others have also mastered the seamless concept album with greater success. Instrumentally, lyrically, and emotionally, The Age of Pleasure falls short across the board to really pack a punch. This album is jammed full of lusty references, simplistic production, and solid instrumentation that make it sensual, melodious, and seamless, but is that really enough to earn a nomination, much less a win, for Album of the Year? I'm all for representation of Black female artists at the GRAMMYs, but honestly, I'm not even sure The Age of Pleasure deserved its nomination in this category.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: PROBABLY NOT LISTENING AGAIN

GRAMMY Nominees: Endless Summer Vacation, Miley Cyrus

There were few songs bigger in 2023 than the lead single, "Flowers," from Miley Cyrus's eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation. After 18 years of releasing music, Miley Cyrus has finally garnered her first nomination for Album of the Year at the GRAMMYs (along with seven other nominations). Coming off of years of media chaos, marriage and divorce, and a new record label, Miley Cyrus has re-entered the music world more confidently than ever with her longest running chart hit of her career and her eighth Billboard 200 top-five album release.

Stand-out tracks: "Flowers" "Wildcard" "Wonder Woman"

My favorites: "Jaded" "You" "River"

The album opens with Miley's smash-hit "Flowers," the self-love anthem that took the radio waves by storm for it's cheeky "I can love me better than you can" theme and strut-worthy, boppy beat. The follow up tracks are groovy "Jaded" and "Rose Colored Glasses." The former leans back into the Malibu-rock sound that we've heard from Miley on past albums like Breakout and Younger Now. Lyrically, "Jaded" reflects on someone being the instigator of a relationship ending without fully realizing it: "And it's a fucking shame that it ended like that/You broke your own heart, but you'd never say that/We went to hell, but we never came back." These two tracks are classic Miley reinvented for a new era.

We all know and love Miley's 2009 hit "The Climb," and track four "Used to Be Young" is the grown-up version of "The Climb." The production is a little simplistic, but the vocal and lyric components of the song are able to shine, as they reflect on the messy years of young adulthood. Interestingly, "Thousand Miles (feat. Brandi Carlile)" melodically sounds parallel to Miley's own "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" from 2010's Can't Be Tamed. I wish the Brandi Carlile feature on this one was a little more prominent, but the harmonies she provides complement Miley's beautifully.

"You" is Miley's take on the piano ballad; it's rustic and brutally honest, but stunningly romantic in it's own way: "You know I'm savage, but you're looking past it/I want that late-night sweet magic, that forever-lasting love/But only if it's with you."

Miley herself has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to Los Angeles, and interlude-style "Handstand" production-wise perfectly captures the vibe of late-night LA. Distorted whisper-y vocals paired with a jazzy-synth backing track make this one a nice change of pace from the more pop-rock opening of the album. The dance-pop production style continues into "River," which production-wise would have sounded right at home on Can't Be Tamed or Miley's 2009 EP Time of our Lives, and "Violet Chemistry," which sounds like a mellowed-out version of songs like "Drive" from Miley's 2013 album Bangerz.

The next pair of tracks, again, remind me of many of the tracks on Miley's 2020 album Plastic Hearts. The shortest track on the album is the second track on the album with a feature,"Muddy Feet (feat. Sia)," which is followed by "Wildcard," which showcases, dare I say, Miley's best vocal performance in years. If you've forgotten amongst the tabloid drama she's found herself caught up in that she's an incomparable vocalist, "Wildcard" is your not-so-subtle reminder that no other recording artist out there sounds like Miley Cyrus.

The album conclusion is something completely unique to the Endless Summer Vacation album. "Island" and "Wonder Woman" are among the most auditorily immersive tracks on the album, with the former having that classic reggae-style production paired with softly sung lyrics like "I can paint my toenails while I'm soaking up the sea/The only thing that's missing here is you and our TV" and "Am I stranded on an island?/Or have I landed in paradise?/I hear your voice like a song on the radio/All day long 'cause, boy, I be missing ya." "Wonder Woman" is pared back to Miley's soaring vocals and a simple piano accompaniment, illustrating the strength in vulnerability of women. Some of my favorite lyrics on the entirety of Endless Summer Vacation come at the very end: "All her pain is polished/All her tears are planned/But when her favorite record's on and she's dancin' in the dark/She can't stop her eyes from wellin' up/She makes sure that no one's 'round to see her fall apart/She wants to be the one that never does."

GRAMMY for Album of the Year

Although Miley has described Endless Summer Vacation as a love letter to LA and the self-discovery journey she's found herself on in the decade and a half that she's lived in the Malibu area, this album more feels like a celebration of every era of Miley's musical past. It alludes to almost every single one of her previous albums either lyrically or production-wise. The fact that the GRAMMYs chose to specifically nominate this particular album of Miley's for Album of the Year is an astronomical achievement for her, as it seems that the album itself honors her entire career thus far.

Compared to other nominees in the Album of the Year category, Endless Summer Vacation doesn't quite have the finesse, cohesion, or volume of massive hits as compared to some of its competition. Quite simply, it's an incredible pop album. It showcases Miley Cyrus's achievements and growth as an artist over the last almost-two decades. As a complete project, Endless Summer Vacation earns its spot in the pool of nominees for Album of the Year, but I can pretty confidently predict that it won't be taking the title.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: OBSESSED WITH SOME TRACKS