When Olivia Rodrigo launched her sophomore album, "Guts," fans' expectations were sky-high. She released a great record that fans and reviewers loved. Rodrigo opened out about her complicated feelings after several heartbreaks as a singer-songwriter.
"Guts" includes tearjerkers including "Pretty Isn't Pretty," "Making The Bed," "Teenage Dream," and "The Grudge."
The music, written by Rodrigo and her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, sounds like it came straight from her heart based on her fantastic vocal delivery, which wonderfully expresses her anguish. As the music deepens, she can barely stand it.
"The Grudge" effectively conveys the bewilderment, desire, grief, and betrayal after a turbulent relationship ends. Rodrigo sings on how a betrayal left her with many unanswered issues and broke it up.
The worst part is that her ex doesn't think he did wrong, thus she didn't get an apology for the harm. The song's quiet piano sound grows louder in the chorus as Rodrigo lets out her heart and soul.
"My undying love, now I hold it like a grudge." "The Grudge" cleverly describes Olivia Rodrigo's struggle to hang onto her love after her boyfriend deceived her. The music seems like a continuation of "Traitor," from "Sour," considering both tracks mention a loved one betraying them without regret.
"The Grudge" begins with Rodrigo reliving a terrible, life-changing phone call in her memory. While caught in that moment, the singer-songwriter understands her ex isn't thinking about his behavior.
His betrayal puzzles her, saying, "You must be insecure, you must be so unhappy." Rodrigo appears OK because she's constructed a veneer, but she's still devastated by his acts.
Now that Rodrigo's ex is gone, she has to struggle with his memories as she goes about her day, making him feel regret by articulating the sentiments she couldn't express.
She knows letting go and moving on is best, but it's hard. She laments, "But even after all this, you're still everything to me," in the song's last chorus, since she still loves her ex.