Album Reviews

Album reviews: Olivia Rodrigo masters the art of credible storytelling

The American singer-songwriter tells her tales of poignant pain with an authenticity that belies her young age

Olivia Rodrigo, who at 20 years of age not only knows her way around a very decent pop song but can also tell her tales of emotional woe in ways that genuinely cut to the heart of the matter

Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS (Geffen)

We have known for decades that confessional singer-songwriters are as common as the very common cold. What differentiates the strong from the weak, the insightful from the mediocre, is how they tell their respective stories, and whether they share rings of truth and lived experience.

Another aspect of any success, however, is how they write their stories. If it’s too much information it can be off-putting, and if it’s too ...