- Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts” Tops UK Album Chart
- Creative Struggles and a Successful Reset
- Critical Acclaim and Clever Marketing Boost “Guts” Success
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo’s highly anticipated second album, Guts, has topped the UK album chart.
Comprising the successful singles Vampire and Bad Idea, Correct? It outsold the rest of the top 10 albums combined and was the most streamed album over the previous week.
It is the singer’s second number-one in the UK, following Sour in 2021.
The 20-year-old revealed that she “struggled” with the follow-up, stating, “When I wrote lyrics, I would imagine Twitter users dissecting them.”
She continued, “That was difficult.” That is the opposite of creativity.
“Therefore, I had to change my mindset halfway through the album’s creation to create only radio-friendly tracks. The second that I did that, it began becoming so much more fun, and it felt creative again.”
The reset switch appears to have been effective. In addition to dominating the charts, Guts has been praised by critics, with a Metacritic score of 90 out of 100.
Rolling Stone called it “another instant classic, with her most ambitious, intimate, and messy songs to date,” while Pitchfork called the 12 tracks an “uproarious” compilation of “bratty rocker-chick anthems and soul-searching ballads.”
Fans who purchased vinyl copies of the album were also astonished to find a hidden thirteenth track. Each variant of the album’s color contained one of four “hidden” tracks that are unavailable via music streaming services.
In a clever marketing maneuver, all four variants were available for purchase as a package on Rodrigo’s website, with each copy registering as a distinct sale on the charts.
The Official Charts Company reported 60,300 chart “units” for Guts last week, including physical sales and streaming. This is nearly 10,000 more than Sour, whose debut week sales were 51,000 units.
The album’s success is also reflected in the singles chart, where three of Rodrigo’s tracks are among the top ten.
Former chart-topper Vampire’s Bad Idea, Right? is at number two. three o’clock and retribution anthem Bring Him Back! A new registration at position seven.
However, Rodrigo was unable to compete with fellow American artist Doja Cat, whose aggressive rap single Paint The Town Red remains at number one for a second week.
Róisn Murphy reaches the top five
Travis Scott’s expansive fourth album, Utopia, has remained at number two on the album chart since his return.
Liverpool alternative rock group The Coral’s Sea Of Mirrors debuted at number three, followed by The Weeknd’s greatest hits compilation The Highlights, which has become a semi-permanent fixture in the top ten after 81 weeks.
Róisín Murphy, former Moloko vocalist, completes the top five with Hit Parade, her fourth top 40 solo album.
The experimental, eccentric pop album has been lauded by music critics as “deeply sophisticated” and “a contender for album of the year”; however, its release has been overshadowed by Murphy’s remarks on gender politics.
In a private Facebook post last month, the singer voiced her opposition to puberty blockers, describing them as “big pharma laughing all the way to the bank” and adding, “Little mixed-up kids are vulnerable and need to be protected.”
Blockers “pause puberty” by reducing hormone release, delaying gender-inappropriate bodily changes.
Murphy’s remarks were greeted with dismay from many LGBTQ+ members of her fanbase, who viewed them as anti-trans.
In response, the 50-year-old released a lengthy statement in which he said, “I cannot apologize enough for causing this damaging and potentially hazardous social media firestorm.
“It is heartbreaking to witness the consequences of my actions and the divisions they have caused.”
However, she did not retract her initial remarks and merely promised to “withdraw from this discussion.”
Two of her album launch performances were cancelled due to social media backlash, but replacements were booked.
Little Simz reflected on a 6 Music season that “celebrates poetry, rap, and spoken word and airs the following week in conjunction with National Poetry Day,” the corporation stated in denial.
According to a statement, there was no other explanation for the change. Recent airplay on 6 Music has featured Róisn Murphy, and her Artist Collection remains in rotation.
Her duet with Jessie Ware, Freak Me Now, and Moloko classic Sing It Back were performed several times.
Hit Parade has become the highest-charting album of the singer’s career, surpassing Róisn Machine’s previous apex of 14 in 2021.
