The 17-year-old was just wrapping up a Disney show when she released her first single, “Drivers License.” This record hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart immediately, “My entire life just, like, shifted in an instant,” says Rodrigo.
Continuing with the success after her debut single drop, she kept to the top of the charts after releasing the rest of her pop album and even won three Grammys; gaining enough fame to announce her tour, “Sour World Tour.” Turning 18 years old, Rodrigo traveled to different countries performing for girls around the same age as her. Fan, Grace Carey, who attended the Sour tour says, “Because Olivia is so close in age with me, I feel like she’s singing about my life at times,” a common emotion that most fans or so-called “Livies” can relate to.
While on this tour, Rodrigo kept a very innocent teenage girl perception with appropriate lyrics, dancing, stage performances, etc. She was known for a kid-friendly performance. Earning around $250,000 per show, Rodrigo was set up for a successful career.
When the tour came to a close on July 7, 2022, Rodrigo went quiet. She wasn’t heard about, and rarely seen for months on end. No talk about new releases, future plans, or any indications of new music coming anytime soon. She waited almost an entire year before she announced her sophomore album, “Guts,” on June 26, 2023.
Though this album was expected to be very similar to Sour, she announced that the genre would be pop rock, which was a big shift in Rodrigo’s music. Taking a risk like this on a sophomore album didn’t promise her success. Luckily, with talent like hers, the fans became obsessed with her new music.
This time around, Rodrigo was not so careful with her lyricism. Singing about sexual topics in her songs, and cursing without hesitation, Rodrigo was a new performer. Now 20 years old, it wasn’t expected but surely did not disappoint the fans. Having fans that are a close age as her, makes her music relatable for them, so whether she is conservative or not, the Livies will support her.
As an artist, Rodrigo seems to be growing through her music and performances. She announced the “Guts World Tour” on September 13, 2023, and just started it on February 23, 2024. “Her stage presence has completely changed in a more mature way,” says fan Sofia Begonjia.
Another “Livie” Taylor Lerow, was not able to attend the Sour Tour, and did not get tickets to the Guts Tour. Though she is still looking for tickets, she is determined to see Olivia perform live. Taylor says “Olivia Rodrigo is a really talented artist who connects very well with her fan base in a way that allows her to write music with emotions that her fans are currently experiencing, making her music very relatable. I want to go to the guts tour so that I can experience these emotion-filled songs along with other fans.” Tickets for the Guts tour are in extremely high demand, making it very difficult for fans to see her perform live.
As Rodrigo grows and matures throughout her career, her strong fan base continues to grow and mature with her. The future is waiting to see the great things that this talented artist can achieve. Though she might need to reinvent her music every album release in order to stay relevant, Rodrigo seems to have what it takes to make history.
