During the GUTS World Tour, adorable video footage of young Olivia Rodrigo performing to a stuffed animal plays in the background. “It gets really emotional. My mom can’t watch that part without crying,” the singer admitted.
It’s one of many moments featured in her concert film, Netflix’s “Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour,” which was released Tuesday.
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“It’s a very sweet moment,” Rodrigo continued to tell The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m so happy to be able to watch that video again. This has always been a dream of mine, as evidenced by the home movies of me putting on a show for my stuffed animals, and for it to come true in this way… , I’m so grateful to be able to make my dreams come true every night. I’m such a lucky girl.”
Rodrigo’s second album “GUTS”, released last September, was a huge success and allowed him to double the number of performances on his 2022 SOUR tour. She also upgraded from theaters to arenas like Madison Square Garden in New York City and the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, where the Netflix special was filmed.
She hopes fans who couldn’t come to her live shows will be fulfilled through the new concert film. “This is what was really exciting for me to bring this to Netflix, so maybe people who couldn’t get tickets will be able to see it,” she says. “I also think this movie shows some different perspectives and angles. Even if you’ve seen it before, it feels fresh and exciting.”
In the interview, the 21-year-old talked about performing live, advice for tour opener and rising star Chapel Lawn, a possible return to acting and voting for the first time.
On your last tour you went to a theater, but on your most recent tour you upgraded to an arena and played twice as many shows. How was that?
It was very different. I feel like my two tours are incomparable. Both felt very different. The SOUR tour was very intimate and wonderful. I’m really happy that I’ve gotten used to touring with this kind of routing, but this tour is really big and allows me to go to a lot of places I’ve never been before and to play bigger venues. It’s done. So it definitely stretched me as a performer, and I feel like I learned a lot and became more confident as the show went on.
This tour featured an all-female band, was that also the case on your first tour?
Yes, it was. I love girl bands. I grew up loving rock music, especially girl rock bands and female rockers like Sleater-Kinney and Hole and Babes in Toyland. So I always tried to recreate that environment myself on tour.
During the tour, they performed GUTS’ “Pretty Is’t Pretty,” a song with a groovy beat but also lyrically deep. What was it like writing that song, and have any fans approached you specifically about it?
It’s very interesting that you say that. It’s one of my favorite songs to play. I kept thinking about the lyrics of that song. I went through several trial rounds trying to write “Pretty Isn’t Pretty,” but it just didn’t work out. And when I finally wrote this version, I thought, “Wow, I finally have a clear idea of what I want to say.” It’s not a hit song or anything, so it’s one of my favorite songs to play live. It’s not the most streamed of my songs or my discography, but I’m always looking outward when I’m singing that song. There are some people in the audience who really, really feel every lyric. It really resonates with them. I always try to make eye contact while singing, and it’s been a very meaningful experience for me.
Most of your fans are your age or younger, but you also have older fans. How does it feel to see people in their 30s and 40s singing together at your shows?
That’s a really fun part (of the show). It’s so cool to see all the different age groups singing together, we have such a diverse group of people coming to the show, and it’s so fun to see them every night. Music is so universal. It reminds us how similar we are all. We are much more similar than we are different, and real-life concerts are a perfect example of this.
If you write from a place of honesty and vulnerability, something that most people have felt at some point in their lives, then hopefully (everyone) can relate to that. That’s my theory.
You mentioned that “Enough for You” is your favorite song by SOUR in the movie. why is that?
I wrote this song alone on my bedroom floor. I’m really proud of this song and it really captures the anxiety I was feeling at the time. It’s an anxiety that I thankfully don’t feel now, but I’ll always love it because it’s a really beautiful time capsule of my 17-year-old mind.
Chapel Lawn appears in the concert video, what was it like co-starring with her?
It was great. I mean, I love Chappell and she’s been a huge part of the GUTS World Tour. she opened her mouth. She did the first seven or so shows with me and really helped me get my footing and understand what the show was about. I felt it would be disrespectful not to include her. She’s a big part of that. I really love that song (“Hot to Go!”) and had so much fun playing it with her. The audience went wild.
You both work with producer Dan Nigro, is that how you met?
Yeah, we met through Dan. We would exchange sessions at his studio and meet up occasionally to spend time together. She does background vocals on some of my songs, SOUR and GUTS, so she’s always been a part of my life. And I’m very, very happy that she blew it up and killed it and got the recognition that she deserves. .
She, along with many other artists, is making strides this year. They are experiencing new things like more fans, fame, and upcoming Grammy nominations. Having had the same experience in 2021, do you have any advice for them?
Oh my god. It’s very difficult. I’m 21 years old and still feel like I’m flying in a lot of ways, but when I look back at the time when my music was starting to take off and gain some traction, it was pretty exciting, but… I think it’s really important to remember that at the end of the day, it’s not the charts or awards that really give you purpose in life. And I think if you maintain that mindset, you’ll become a happier, more grounded person.
Have you had time to record or compose new music? Do you write when it comes to you, or do you prefer to write during scheduled sessions?
A little bit of both. I love writing songs. It helps me feel sane and human. It’s like self-care for me. It’s like writing in a diary or something, or calling a therapist. That’s what songwriting is to me, so I’m always writing songs. But now I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself to make something that will be heard by a lot of people. It’s kind of fun.
Earlier this year, you were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, along with the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age (won by Boygenius). Does it feel special in some way to get that nomination?
Yes, it was. It felt really great. In other words, I felt accepted in a community that has historically been very male-dominated. A lot of rock music is made by men, so being included in that category as a young woman was really exciting for me. That was very meaningful.
Which artists would you like to collaborate with or write songs with?
Heck, I always wanted to write a song with Gwen Stefani. I love her and got to perform with her at Coachella this year. She’s such a lovely, down-to-earth, kind woman, and I think her songs are like a songwriting guidebook for me. So it would be great to make something with her today. That’s amazing. She is very versatile. She is the ultimate cool girl. No one does it like she does. she’s amazing
Elections are approaching. How do you feel? Is this the first time you can vote for a presidential candidate?
This is my first presidential election. I missed the last one. I’m really looking forward to it. I voted yesterday (Sunday). I voted by mail and went to the polling place to vote. It was very exciting. And I proudly stuck the stickers on all day long. This is a very, very important election, so I hope everyone, especially people my age, go and vote. Nothing is more important than this.
Many of us first saw you as an actor before the release of Driver’s License. If you were to go back to acting, what kind of role would you like to play?
Oh, that’s very interesting. I would also like to try acting roles that have nothing to do with music. I love music, but I think it’s really great to stretch new muscles and do something completely different than what I’ve been doing for the past few years. I would love to do something like that, but who knows? The future is bright.
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