Olivia Rodrigo faces backlash over “cheap” GUTS album cover

Virginia Glaze
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Olivia Rodrigo is facing backlash on social media after showing off a tentative cover for her upcoming album, GUTS — and fans aren’t happy with the photo.

It’s safe to say that Olivia Rodrigo is one of the biggest new artists in the music industry. The former Disney star has made quite a name for herself thanks to her debut album, ‘SOUR,’ and even took over social media with the release of her most popular track, ‘Driver’s License,’ back in 2021.

Since then, fans have been anxious for Rodrigo to unleash a new album upon their ears… and in June 2023, they finally got their wish.

Rodrigo unveiled the title for her sophomore album, ‘GUTS,’ in a viral Instagram post on June 26. She also penned an open letter for her listeners where she discussed the “confusion, mistakes, awkwardness, and good, old-fashioned teen angst” that went into her songwriting.

Fans upset by similarity between GUTS & SOUR album covers

However, some fans are not here for the album’s cover, with many finding it a little too similar to the cover for her debut album, SOUR.

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The album covers for GUTS and SOUR look pretty similar – and some fans aren’t happy about this.

It’s true — the two do look fairly similar, both showing Rodrigo posing against a purple background boasting lettering that spells out the albums’ names somewhere on her person. But for more than a few listeners, this just isn’t enough of a jump to show her growth as an artist.

“I’m afraid Olivia Rodrigo did not slay with this album cover,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “For an album called, ‘GUTS,’ she really did not deliver.”

“How does she manage to make everything look so cheap, no matter what?” another wrote.

“I love the cover, although it’s too similar to SOUR in my opinion,” another said. “It could be mistaken for promo art for SOUR, lol.”

Other fans have even resorted to Photoshopping the cover themselves in order to lend a more ‘gutsy’ feel to the pic.

This isn’t the first time that Rodrigo has faced backlash from her fans over an album-related creative decision. In 2021, she came under fire for her SOUR merchandise, which many fans labeled “hideous.”

Rodrigo’s GUTS album is set to release on September 8, 2023. For more music and entertainment news, check out our page right here on Dexerto.

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About The Author

Virginia is Dexerto's Entertainment Editor and an expert in all things TikTok, YouTube, and influencer-related. Boasting a background in esports, she's been tackling the social media space for over five years. You can reach Virginia at: virginia.glaze@dexerto.com.