Olivia Rodrigo has been making a huge dent in the music industry over the last few years. Ever since her breakthrough single, “drivers license,” she has been rapidly growing in popularity. In September, Olivia released her sophomore album, “Guts.” This album is one of three female albums that was rated 100/100 on Rolling Stone. The album includes 12 songs and this March she is releasing “Guts deluxe” with five new tracks.
Rodrigo’s music has become super popular because of her relatable lyrics and charming personality. She sings about growing up as a teenager into adulthood and the expectations that are put on young women in our generation.
KentWired described her music this way: “Shows female rage and what it means to be a young woman in our world today. She is an outlet for anger or sadness.” What draws her fans, or Livies, is that she shows vulnerability through her lyrics and works to have a relationship with her fans through social media.
Rodrigo’s new tour, the Guts World Tour has started to take over the internet. The concert features all but two of her songs from both of her award-winning albums. She has also sung her song from the new “Hunger Games” movie “Can’t Catch Me Now” as a surprise song at a few of her shows. The tour includes up and coming artists such as Chappell Roan, Remi Wolf, and PinkPantheress and an established band called The Breeders.
Chappell Roan is a new pop artist that released her debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” in September and as she opens for Rodrigo she is also on her own tour around the US and Europe throughout 2024. Remi Wolf is another new pop artist who just announced her sophomore album, “Big Ideas,” that comes out in July. PinkPantheress is a pop and R&B artist and record producer who became popular in 2021. Lastly, The Breeders are an alternative/indie band that was most popular in the 90s and early 2000s.
At her concerts, she creates a welcoming environment and is down to earth. At the end of of her second encore song, she walks around the front line of the pit to create a special moment with as many fans as she can. Rodrigo communicates often how grateful she is for her fanbase. Emma Wilson who attended the concert described the concert as: “Electrifying; there is so much to experience in such little time. There is an energy in the audience that is comforting because it’s an experience of girlhood.”
The Grammy winner has used her tour and platform to advocate for reproductive rights. When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, she spoke out at one of her concerts in Glastonbury. “I’m devastated and terrified. So many women and so many girls are going to die because of this,” she said. “I wanted to dedicate this next song to the five members of the Supreme Court who have showed us that at the end of the day, they truly don’t give a shit about freedom. The song is for the justices: Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh. We hate you! We hate you.”
Since then she has continued to speak out for young girls and women for the right of education, reproductive healthcare, and domestic violence.
Rodrigo has used her recent tour to show support for reproductive healthcare. She announced that a portion of all ticket sales from the North American leg of her tour will go towards funds for that care. Recently at her St. Louis show, she put up a booth handing out free condoms and morning-after pills. She has also donated $6 million over the last three years to fund the research of EB, or Epidermolysis Bullosa. EB is a life-threatening disease that causes the skin to blister and break.
She is partnering with the National Network of Abortion Funds and they stated they will strive to: “Ensure those most impacted by systemic racism, misogyny, and healthcare barriers can get the reproductive care they deserve.”
Olivia Rodrigo’s rising success is well-deserved and no doubt will continue to grow as it is just her sophomore album era. This pop/rock star has electrified the music industry and has influenced many new artists.
