It’s been brutal out here without new music from Olivia Rodrigo — but the “Driver’s License” songstress has finally announced her second album.
Does Olivia Rodrigo’s 2nd Album Have a Release Date?
Guts, the 20-year-old’s follow-up to her 2021 debut LP, Sour, will debut on September 8. “I am so proud of this record and I can’t wait to share it with you all!” Rodrigo shared via Instagram on June 26 alongside the cover of her upcoming release.
The album shows the singer lying on a dark purple background, sporting a black tank top with a purple satin bra peeking out from the neckline. Guts is spelled out on her rings.
Myrna Suarez/Shutterstock
What Inspired Olivia Rodrigo’s 2nd Album?
The Grammy Award winner explained that Guts is all about growth. “For me, this album is about growing pains and trying to figure out who I am at this point in my life,” Rodrigo shared in a June press release. “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.”
Rodrigo will release a new song called “Vampire” on June 30. It will be her first single since “Brutal” received a music video in August 2021.
In May, the California native seemingly teased the lyrics on her Instagram, sharing a photo of the question, “how do you lie?” repeated three times. She captioned the snap of the handwritten words with a vampire emoji.
Amid announcing Guts on June 26, Rodrigo shared via her Instagram Story: “Making this album was very daunting, very fun, and very fulfilling. I can’t wait for it to be yours. Here’s to all the good times ahead.”
It’s easy to see why it’s a challenge to follow Sour. Her debut went platinum four times and resulted in her winning Best New Artist, Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammys. (She also had nominations for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Music Video.)
As she released her final single from Sour, Rodrigo predicted her evolution. She told Clash in August 2021 that the next album was “probably going to be a lot happier than the record I just made.”
The New Girl alum teased at the time: “My tastes are always changing, and I think that will be reflected in the next album.”
After recording her second LP, Rodrigo revealed that there would still be some emo vibes on Guts. “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 & good old fashioned teen angst,” she wrote in a June newsletter to fans. “I made it with my friend Dan in between New York and L.A. and I’m so very proud of it. I cannot express how excited I am to embark on this new chapter of my life with you guys. See you on September 8th!!!!”
In the clip, viewers zoom in on a bird’s-eye view of the singer lounging in a bedroom and unpacking boxes as a sample from an unreleased song plays in the background. Scattered around are hidden phrases and words that eagle-eyed fans quickly realized could be song titles, including “Bad Idea Right,” “Stranger,” “Obsessed,” “Book Club” and “Now I Hold It Like a Grudge” among others that can’t be deciphered.
Days later, Rodrigo dropped the complete tracklist via Twitter:
