The Genius of Olivia Rodrigo
Updated: Aug 8, 2021
a teenager's not-so sour rise to fame
If you've been keeping up with music lately, you'd notice a name that keeps popping up. Olivia Rodrigo, new Disney star turned singer-songwriter has been smashing the music lists and Billboard's Top 100. It's like she came out of nowhere, and quickly dominated the pop music industry. And as a fellow Filipino woman, I'm so excited to see someone like myself rise to fame. But how did this fame even happen? And what does this mean for her?
The Scoop About Her Songs
Sour, Rodrigo's debut album, was the essentially the epitome of a teenage life as much as it could be. Every song had something for someone, and every song was a new style. From brutal and jealousy, jealousy's pop-punk bitter teenage angst to happier, 1sf3sb, and enough for you's "sad-girl" heartbreak ballads, to good 4 u and deja vu's upbeat, passive-aggressive pettiness, she's able to bring the highs, lows, and everything in between of being young and dumb.
There's another thing I'd like to mention: her songs remind me of other artists. 1sf3sb was inspired by Taylor Swift. driver's license had the same layered, soft, whisper notes as Billie Eilish. She rides on the coattails of those that came before her and created something completely fresh and consistent throughout the whole album. Sour is her personal ode to being a teenager.
Her Composition Book of Song Composition
My final piece about the songs itself are how they're constructed. Olivia Rodrigo nails every bridge, some being the best parts of her songs, trending on TikTok, too. The meanings of the lyrics are pretty simple for the average Joe, but they're executed with so much emotion that punches you in the gut. She matches the energy of the music, and that's why it works so well.
Speaking on music, her partner, Daniel Nigro, is another genius I'd like to mention. The mellow piano in driver's license was something I didn't expect, but was well received. brutal's aggressive, metal-like opening was the greatest start to a great song. Nigro has proven himself to be Rodrigo's singing-songwriting partner-in crime; her equal.
Addictive Advertising
If you're wondering why the previous section mentioned composition books, it's because of Rodrigo's music videos feature a composition book at the start of each one. She shoots for a relatable teenage atmosphere in Sour. But the reason that it works so well was because it's real. She's lived through it, and she allowed herself to pour it all out. And you can see that because it's advertised like that.
The album cover itself is edgy, as any teenager would say, but still fits who she is. The stickers on her face give her a youthful appearance, but also an attention-grabbing look. She even got her own Sour-Patch that tailored to her album. Her marketing team came up with magazine covers for each song on the track. She's got a solid team behind her, which just adds to her success!
Olivia Rodrigo is talented, and she's here to stay. She proved that after Sour's release. Her almost overnight rise to fame caused her to become an international sensation. And not even ignoring the fact that she's literally living the dream life. I'm very excited to see what she can do next, and I wish her the best!
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