It’s a Tuesday night and I’m walking to the Kia Center in Downtown Orlando, making my way through the crowd. I see young teenage girls and boys dressed in silver skirts, glittery eye makeup, Doc Martens adorning their feet, and a whole lot of purple.
Everyone is lining up for the main event of the evening: Olivia Rodrigo’s long-awaited Guts Tour.
The Gen-Z singer is having a huge moment right now. Running high on her recent pop-rock album release (yes, rock) Guts, she performed a 95-minute set packed with the energy and stamina of a pop-punk princess. Adorned with an all-female band, choreography, multiple outfit changes, and even a flying lilac moon that floats around the arena, she has the performance qualities of a pop star with the grit and ego of a rock god.
Opening with the crowd favorite “Bad Idea, right?”, Rodrigo feeds on the energy of the crowd, screaming along to the lyrics. I have to give props to her supporting band as well, which delivered an amazing tight-knit rock performance.
“ I’m happier than ever and I don’t think growing up is so scary after all… you get to know yourself more and more every year.” she claims before launching into the beginning of “Teenage Dream”, probably one of the stand-out performances of the night. Personally, as a 19-year-old myself, I shed a couple of tears. A projection of her childhood home videos flashed on the arena screen, relating to the many fears that other young people have about the fear of growing up and the anxieties of impending adulthood responsibilities.
Rodrigo added a new addition to her tour: a crew of dancers. Aiding Rodrigo’s already present storytelling, their presence added to the performance of her songs more than taking it away. During the song “Love is Embarrassing” we see Rodrigo and her crew perform a choreographed dance that went viral on TikTok, the platform crediting some of the dance movements as “Disney knees”. However, this made me appreciate the theatricality and campiness that the dancing crew offers, making Rodrigo’s vision stronger than ever. Letting us know she’s not afraid to let loose and have fun.
The rock elements of the show refuse to be ignored. During the crowd-pleaser “Brutul”, Rodrigo joins her band in action, showing off her skills on the electric guitar, which would impress even the most gatekeeping rock fan. Even throughout the show, the accompanying drums, electric guitar, and bass shine through in even the poppiest songs, such as ‘Vampire” or “Deja- vu”.
There were also many surprises in store that night. The popular b-side track “Obsessed” which was released on the red exclusive Target vinyl, made its debut that night. Rodrigo in her red sparkly jumpsuit slinks on stage and sings about her newfound obsession with her partner’s past ex-girlfriend.
“I’m so obsessed with your ex, I know she’s been asleep on my side of your bed”
Making sure the crowd has time to catch their breath, The slower moments come during her performance of “Happier”. Sitting on the edge of the stage with her guitarist, we enter the acoustic section of the show. That doesn’t mean that the crowd doesn’t show her any less love. Audience members marveled at Rodrigo’s singing, putting their phone flashlights up as she belts her heart out to the crowd.
Rodrigo picks up the energy again with “All American Bitch”, encouraging the audience to scream out their frustrations and anger at the height of the song, and the crowd reciprocates. Letting out a noise so thundering, I swear you could hear it from outside of the arena.
Collectively for that hour and a half, everyone in that arena was transfixed by Rodrigo’s mastery of live music. Whether you’re young or old, Rodrigo’s songwriting and performance qualities transcribe to all generations. It’s no wonder why she’s so popular. She has the “it-girl” factor that many have been anticipating and craving in a pop star. Rodrigo is still young (she just turned 21 a couple of weeks ago) and still has a long way to go in her career. However, I know that her fans and the world will be elated for what she’ll accomplish next.