Olivia Rodrigo opens up about the pressure of crafting 'GUTS' following 'Sour' success

Olivia Rodrigo, the young musical sensation who took the world by storm with her debut album Sour, has emerged victorious once again with her latest offering, GUTS.

Following the unprecedented success of her debut album, which included chart-topping hits and multiple Grammy Awards, Rodrigo faced a monumental task—how to follow up on such an incredible debut.

In an interview with PEOPLE, the 20-year-old artist revealed the immense pressure she felt when crafting her sophomore album.

"At the outset of writing 'GUTS,' I grappled with a cacophony of doubts swirling in my head about whether it could ever match up to the standard set by 'Sour,'" She candidly confessed.

Olivia Rodrigo's rise to fame began with her debut single, Drivers License, released at the tender age of 17 in 2021.

The song became a global sensation, amassing over 1 billion streams on Spotify alone and earning her a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance.

To create GUTS, Rodrigo reunited with her trusted producer and songwriting partner, Dan Nigro.

She said, "I had to switch my mindset into just trying to write songs that I would like to hear on the radio and not trying to beat anything or achieve any sort of commercial success," Rodrigo explained.

Rodrigo also discovered unconventional ways to alleviate the pressure, including spending time with Nigro's 18-month-old daughter, Saoirse.

"If we were ever feeling stressed out, we would go and hang out with his baby, and immediately I'd be like, 'Okay, I don't need to worry about what people on Twitter are going to say. This is beautiful, and this is what life's all about,'" she shared.

The lead single from GUTS, titled Vampire, soared to the No. 1 spot upon release, accumulating nearly 350 million streams.

"When I wrote my first album, I was 17. I think everyone is super insecure at 17 and doubting themselves constantly. Am I talented? Can I do this? Now I'm a lot happier, and I take myself a lot less seriously. I trust my gut more, and I trust my intuitions." Rodrigo reflected.