As do many other people, I love Olivia Rodrigo. I have been obsessed with her ever since the countdown for her very first single, “Drivers License” back in 2021. So far in the first three years of her growth in fame, she has made over 17.4 million album sales; Drivers License itself had over two billion streams on Spotify. She has won three Grammy awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four People’s Choice Awards, and even more. You can find numerous performances of hers from past Saturday Night Live Episodes, the 2021 Brit Awards, and multiple Grammy performances. But let’s flash forward to the present and why Olivia Rodrigo is so hot currently.
Guts World Tour
On February 23, 2024 she had her first night of her first ever world tour in Palm Springs, California. This tour known as, “Guts World Tour” sold out numerous shows all around the world within minutes. I know this as a fan who desperately tried to buy tickets, but failed miserably. However, I did have the honor of attending her debut tour for her first album, “Sour.” I plan to take on any level of delusion to get myself to this tour as well.
I follow along with updates about her life and tour. Her life is very difficult to miss; photos and videos of her first few shows flooded all of my social media. The most talked about performance of hers was specifically an unreleased song she sang called “Obsessed”. Not only was it unexpected by fans but it also was a performance filled with so much soul and energy. As she was wearing a sparkling fitted bodysuit and her combat boots, there was a camera angel capturing her from a lower angle as she laid upon the stage while performing. The room went dark as the song got lower. Then a spotlight suddenly found her and soon after that she began playing her purple electric guitar to finish the song. I know I wasn’t the only one repeatedly watching videos of this performance on loop.
Olivia Rodrigo’s Music Style
Rodrigo’s music perfectly embodies the stages of a typical girl’s teenage years. She references breakups, self-image, rage, jealousy, and toxic relationships. She lives up to all the built up teenage angst inside modern girls. Whether it’s crying, screaming, or both, she offers it all. Songs such as “Good 4 U”, “Brutal”, and “Ballad of a Homeschool Girl” are just three examples of her songs that bleed teenage girl rage. Each of them are embedded with a fast rhythm, containing lots of drums and guitar, that channel a combination of both anger and excitement inside of you. “Jealousy, Jealousy”, “Lacy”, and “Pretty isn’t Pretty” are songs that all capture the way we tend to compare ourselves to those around us. No matter what teenage struggle you’re dealing with, Rodrigo manages to capture these feelings perfectly for you to belt along to.
Societal Involvement
Another thing I have always admired about Rodrigo is how she utilizes her platform to speak of topics that she feels passionate about and that contribute beyond her career. For instance, she promoted voting during the 2020 presidential election. She spoke with Maisy Biden, President Joe Biden’s granddaughter, about the importance of voting and provided a website used as a source for voting. After the presidential election she had the privilege to go to the White House and discuss the importance of getting vaccinated with President Joe Biden, which she then shared with her fans. She also has always spoken out about her opinions on women’s rights. She recently announced how a portion of ticket sales for the “Guts World Tour” will be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds to help support women seeking reproductive freedom. Rodrigo knows her fan base and is advocating for them. By taking a bold stand despite the potential of controversy, Rodrigo is a great role model to her young female fans. It is very inspiring to see that her fame does not stop her from speaking up about what she values.
Overall
Rodrigo is a true popstar of our generation. Despite the fame, she too is a young girl navigating her way through this world. She manages to easily capture very shared feelings through her lyrics. This offers such a deep connection to form between her music and her fans. She’ll share an enormous amount of vulnerability into each of her songs and that is something that takes guts… if you know what I mean. She isn’t afraid to speak her mind in her songs and also on her platform. She is always true to herself and her beliefs. Rodrigo is an inspiration to her fans all over the world by simply sharing the mess her own teenage years have caused her.