Sophomore albums are highly anticipated when the artist delivers a well-crafted, well-liked debut body of work. Olivia Rodrigo launched her career as a singer with the pop extravaganza album “Sour,” releasing after the debut single “Driver’s License” more than two years ago. A lot has been said about the influences, inspirations, and similarities of the then eighteen-year-old singer. Although the record made a strong first impression on critics and fans crowning Rodrigo as the reigning “Gen Z Pop Queen” in early 2021, listeners couldn’t help but question the authenticity of the artist as an organic product of her generation, leading many to label her as one more “industry plant.” The “sotto voce” of plagiarism in Sour’s music and lyrics turned into loud claims that resulted in lawsuits. Credits to Paramore’s Hayle Williams and Josh Farro were given for “Good 4 U” due to the similarities to the Gen Z torch bearer artist song with the band’s “Misery Business” in addition to Elvis Costello and Taylor Swift for their songs “Pump it Up” and “Cruel Summer” respectively.
In spite of the naysayers, some with a valid reason, Olivia Rodrigo enjoyed the laurels of being an adored rising star thanks to her loyal 18 million followers who carried her music to the top by breaking the global Spotify record of the biggest opening week for an album by a female artist. The young artist took the gains and few losses of her “ópera prima” and went to work on her second album: “Guts,” delivering in her sophomore effort a growth in sound, lyricism, music refinement, showcasing her skills as an evolving singer in her twenties, true to her music influences such as Courtney Love’s 90’s. It features a sound embedded with the aesthetic of Gen Z social media and a gamer-oriented visual representation of her experiences through her lyrics and melodies. Guts performed well on the Billboard 200, which gives some evidence of the fans’ continuous support. Following Gut’s release on September 8, 2023, the Homonyms Tour was announced with Palm Springs, California as a starting point on February 23, 2024, globetrotting across North America and Europe until August of 2024, minus the Australia publicity tour stint, which has been postponed to an undetermined date.