Unlike Disney predecessors like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, when it came time to sign her first record deal, after teen shows like Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical, I actually made the next big channel success. thing, Olivia Rodrigohe turned his back on Mickey Mouse: The then 17-year-old American star signed a contract not with the company’s own label, but with Interscope / Geffen.because it was the only label that treated me as a songwriter and not a pop star“. It is not surprising that on the new album “guts”, which will be released tomorrow around the world, two years after the sensational success of the debut with “Sour”, mixes hard rock based on
british indie (Wet foot and surroundings) with American alternative music (among his references he quotes Beck and the Smashing Pumpinks) and feminist punk which Jennifer’s mother made her listen to as a child. Rugged, radical and rebellious: Olivia Isabelle Rodrigo is an atypical teen star who has always had a very clear idea of her personality and her path.. IN “All American Bitch“, the opening song of “Guts” is a satirical diatribe against expectations and double standards that she still feels obligated to: “I experienced a lot of emotional turmoil because of the feelings anger and discontent what I felt I could not express, especially in my work. I thought: “You can’t admit it, you should be grateful: there are many people who would like to be where you are.”
In 2021, the single “Driver’s licensedebuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the weekly top singles chart in the US, and became the first song to reach 80 million streams in just seven days on Spotify, setting a record on the platform. Album he was a part of:Sour“, Sales 18 million copies worldwidewhich allowed Olivia Rodrigo to travel the world with her music. win three Grammys at his first participation in the ceremony and be able to go through the entire cycle of rise, fall and redemption in a few years, which stars usually go through in their entire career.
The blender that crushed and squeezed it — last year on Disney+ released the documentary Olivia Rodrigo: Coming Home 2 You, in which she talked about the origins of Sour and its rise — now seems to have jammed. The 20-year-old American pop star says she approached her ascent with care: “In a way, I was successful in the blink of an eye,” Olivia Rodrigo muses in a lengthy exclusive interview with The Guardian. I have been working on songs for years and have been preparing for this moment for a long time. .But in many ways it all happened in an instant, so my way of dealing with the situation was to take my time.“. The impresario immediately wanted to make the most of this initial spark, which, however powerful, had just been ignited: to massive tours of arenas and stadiums – which in any case she would have easily replenished – Olivia Rodrigo preferred theaters and small clubs prefer act gradually. How to avoid immediate burns.
IN “A vampire”, a single leading up to the release of “Guts” last June, the pop star opened up about the feeling of confusion she felt after being at the top of the charts around the world, faking her escape from the toxicity of the entertainment industry. IN “make the bed”, a song that perfectly represents the heart of the new album (the standard edition contains 12 songs, the deluxe edition contains four more), Olivia Rodrigo begins to distrust herself, while the celebrity has distorted her priorities, which led her to move away from friendship for life and get drunk in the company of people from significant circles “I was 19 and I had all this joy in life.
I was also new to the industry, and it can be quite tempting: “There are all these interesting people, all these cool, shiny new toys,” she mimics herself. It’s just here. pitfalls of fame and popularity to whom Olivia tells a lot of songs from the new album, it seems guide to the gigantic land of toys that is the entertainment industry.
Guts had a long and painful pregnancy during which Olivia Rodrigo also suffered from impostor syndrome: “There were a few months when I sat at the piano and only thought about how I would never do something so good, or about all the bad things that people said on Twitter. (After some users noticed similarities between her “Deja Vu” and Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and between her “Good 4 U” and Paramore’s “Misery business”, the pop star had to give both artists 50% credits and fees, ed.).
I was so naive about how the music industry works. However, today I know more and feel better prepared.” She came out of the crisis by returning to work with her producer Dan Nigro in the garage studio where they recorded “Sour”.stay away from comfortable LA studios frequented by stars: “Recording a new album would cause me even more anxiety and doubt. I would think, “We’re spending thousands of dollars and I don’t feel like I’m writing anything good.” Olivia Rodrigo was the first pop star of a new generation to establish herself on the scene since Billie Eilishgetting new link in international pop music. Now she is ready to give this place to someone else: “This album represents the difficulties of entering adulthood and trying to understand who I am at this stage of my life. It seems to me that ten years have passed between the ages of 18 and 20. It was such an intense time of hardship and change. It’s all about growing up and finding your place in the world.“.