Casual conversation fills the air in an audience of thousands. Excitement grows, anticipation roots among showgoers as curated playlists and light cues subtly tease toward the performance. Suddenly, the pop rock rhythm and guitar riffs from “Obsessed” break through, accompanied by the sounds of screams. From the relatable, angsty teenage lyricism of “Good 4 U” and “Brutal” to the heartbreaking ballads that are “Lacy” and “Enough For You,” it is evident to anyone who has seen Olivia Rodrigo perform (whether that be in person or online) the amount of sheer talent and passion she has for her craft. At just 22, the artist has reached extraordinary milestones: winning three Grammy Awards, selling out venues for her albums SOUR and GUTS, releasing a documentary with Disney+, writing a song for the major movie franchise The Hunger Games, and visiting the White House. Despite all her success, Rodrigo never fails to honor the musical giants who shaped her sound, spotlighting icons like David Byrne and Ed Sheeran for fans both new and old.
Rodrigo had her early start as a vocalist performing in singing competitions. She soon became a child actor, acting in commercials, starring in the American Girl movie Grace Stirs Up Success, and earning television roles in Disney’s Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. While filming HSMTMTS, Rodrigo wrote “All I Want” for her character Nini, a song that quickly gained traction and signaled her potential as more than just a Disney star. But it was her debut single “Drivers License,” with its viral success and 2.5 billion Spotify streams, that launched her into pop stardom and earned her a Best New Artist Grammy Award.
While Rodrigo has spent most of her childhood in the public eye, her relatively quick jump in popularity in 2020 was distinct. And while some may not know too much about her career endeavors before full–time musicianship, Rodrigo takes pride in highlighting the artists and idols who’ve inspired her, using performance to connect her audience with her musical influences. After the release of her first album, SOUR, Rodrigo went on her first tour in North America and Europe. Throughout its duration, she brought out artists like Avril Lavigne, Conan Gray, and Alanis Morissette—praising each and every one of them as icons within the music industry before performing alongside them. Even as Rodrigo began to expand her music to include more pop–rock sound and scaled up arenas for her GUTS tour, she continued to share the stage with artists she admires—Lily Allen, Noah Kahan, Sheryl Crow, Tyler Childers, and Chappell Roan among them.
Sure, she’s not the only artist to regularly bring out musical guests on tour—take Billy Joel bringing out Sting, Tony Bennett, and Paul Simon at Madison Square Garden, or Taylor Swift performing with Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jack Antonoff, for example. But what sets Rodrigo apart isn’t just the company she keeps—it’s the way she uses these moments to trace a kind of musical lineage. Whether it’s covering “You’re So Vain” or “Stick Season,” or inviting guests whose styles span decades and genres, Rodrigo curates her performances with an eye toward honoring the past while energizing the present. It’s less about the size of her audience and more about how she bridges generational gaps—especially for younger fans who might be encountering certain artists or eras for the first time through her. This reverence and range allow her to collaborate with a variety of musicians she admires and extend broader musical influences over audiences.
While fans are eagerly awaiting OR3, Rodrigo has been keeping “Livies” fed with several summer music festivals, headlining events like Governors Ball Music Festival, Glastonbury Festival, BST Hyde Park, and soon, a set at Lollapalooza in Chicago. Rodrigo was recently recognized as the second youngest headliner to perform at Glastonbury, just behind Billie Eilish, who performed there at 20 years old in 2022. While she is frequently recognized for her successful career as a young artist, Rodrigo never fails to demonstrate her respect for musical artists that made waves within the rock genre before her, especially one band that has left an enduring and lasting legacy on the genre: The Cure. She surprised her fans with performances of “Friday, I’m in Love” and “Just Like Heaven” alongside Robert Smith. Her admiration of Smith as a performer and lyricist spoke for itself, evident from Rodrigo’s smiles as they played guitars and harmonized together at Glastonbury.
For artists who have accomplished so much at such a young age, it can be difficult to maintain direct connections with fans as they continue to grow their careers. Rodrigo has been able to accomplish just this—utilizing her platform as an artist to not only create music for her audiences, but to teach them about the musicians who left their mark on the genres she performs within.
