Olivia Rodrigo

Olivia Rodrigo attained extraordinary commercial milestones by channeling the genuine details of her experiences into songs that resonated widely with listeners. The arrival of her blockbuster 2021 release "Driver's License," together with the follow-ups "Deja Vu" and "Good 4 U," established the singer and songwriter as the youngest performer to ever reach the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 while simultaneously becoming the first to place her initial three singles inside the upper reaches of that same ranking. Those widely embraced tracks opened the door for her multi-platinum, Grammy-winning opening album, Sour. Its blend of heartache, defiance, and sharp insight across pop, folk, and alternative rock conveyed the emotional peaks and valleys of a young woman unafraid to declare her identity, emotions, and ambitions, directions she explored with added depth on the 2023 Grammy-nominated GUTS and the chart-leading single "Vampire."

Raised in Temecula, California, Rodrigo discovered an early passion for vocal performance. She began taking singing lessons in kindergarten and added piano shortly afterward; by the time she turned twelve, she had also started playing guitar. Her vocal coach recommended trying acting, which led to school productions in elementary and middle grades and ultimately prompted her to pursue professional roles. In 2016 she joined the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark as Paige Olvera. That part directly resulted in her securing the starring role of Nini Salazar-Roberts in the Disney+ mockumentary High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which depicts the onstage and backstage tensions among East High students staging a production of High School Musical: The Musical. After the show's creators, including writer and Broadway librettist Tim Federle, discovered Rodrigo's songwriting ability, they invited her to compose original material for the program. The track "All I Want," created in her living room during sophomore-year finals, accumulated millions of streams following the November 2019 premiere and reached the U.S. and Canada Hot 100 charts by January 2020. She also teamed with castmate Joshua Bassett for the duet "Just for a Moment."

Following the momentum from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Rodrigo continued developing her solo catalog alongside producer Dan Nigro, whose prior credits include work with Carly Rae Jepsen and Sky Ferreira. She drew particular influence from the confessional styles of Fiona Apple, Phoebe Bridgers, and especially Taylor Swift. After signing with Interscope and Geffen in 2020, she issued her debut single "Driver's License" in January 2021, which swiftly ascended to the top of global charts including the Billboard Hot 100 and thereby made her the youngest artist to open at number one on that ranking. Beyond shattering multiple streaming benchmarks, the single earned multi-platinum status in the U.S. and Canada and platinum certification across several additional territories. Her second single, "Deja Vu," followed in April and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight, establishing her as the first artist whose first two releases both debuted inside the Top Ten. A third single, "Good 4 U," arrived in May and, like its predecessor, claimed the top spot, rendering Rodrigo the first performer in Billboard history to have her opening three singles all debut within that elite tier.

Consequently, the May 2021 album Sour became the first debut project to contain two singles that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same calendar year. Originally conceived as an EP, the record fused pop, alt-rock, and folk while taking cues from No Doubt, the White Stripes, Alanis Morissette, and Kacey Musgraves, among others. Co-written by Rodrigo and Nigro, Sour earned praise for its boundary-crossing sound and unflinching lyricism. It achieved major worldwide impact, finishing as the second-highest-selling album globally in 2021. In the U.S. it launched at number one on the Billboard 200, ultimately holding that position for five weeks in total—the longest run for any 2021 release by a female artist—and lingering in the Top Ten for 52 weeks while accumulating multiple platinum certifications. Shortly after release, every track from Sour appeared inside the Top 30 of the Hot 100, with "Traitor" becoming its fourth single to debut in the Top Ten. In the U.K. the album entered at number one the same week "Good 4 U" led the singles chart, positioning Rodrigo as the youngest solo artist to simultaneously top both rankings. The project also reached the summit in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where it remained at number one for ten straight weeks.

Amid Sour's record-setting run, Rodrigo's concert film Sour Prom debuted in June 2021. That December she embarked on a world tour, appeared in the Musicians on Call virtual event Hope for the Holidays, received the People's Choice Award for Album of the Year, and was designated Time Magazine's Entertainer of the Year. Recognition for Sour and its creator extended into 2022. At the Grammy Awards she collected Best New Artist, Best Pop Solo Performance for "Driver's License," and Best Pop Vocal Album for Sour, having earned nominations across all four general categories and thereby becoming only the second-youngest artist after Billie Eilish to achieve that distinction. Additional honors included the Juno Award for International Album of the Year, the Brit Award for International Song of the Year, seven Billboard Music Awards encompassing Top Billboard 200 Album, Top New Artist, and Top Female Artist, plus the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Award.

March 2022 brought the documentary Driving Home 2 U, which traced the making of Sour. In April Rodrigo launched her first headlining tour and performed a cover of Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" at each stop, with Lavigne joining her for the Toronto show. During her Glastonbury Festival set that June, Rodrigo and Lily Allen delivered "Fuck You" in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. In September 2022 she exited High School Musical: The Musical: The Series following the conclusion of its third season.

Late 2022 and early 2023 saw further philanthropic activity, including participation in the third annual Venture Into Cures virtual fundraiser for families affected by epidermolysis bullosa and other rare conditions, the third annual Musicians on Call virtual concert, and the MusiCares Foundation Charity Relief Auction. She returned with the single "Vampire" in June 2023. Her third track to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, it also led charts in the U.K., Australia, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand. Both that song and the August multinational Top Ten hit "Bad Idea Right?" featured on September 2023's GUTS. Produced by Nigro and recorded in his garage studio, the second album extended the wry rock and expansive ballads of Sour while examining the turbulence of her teenage years. Once again it topped the U.S. and U.K. charts plus those of twelve additional countries, while every song placed inside the Top 40 of the Hot 100. GUTS received nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 66th Grammy Awards.

In November, Rodrigo's "Can't Catch Me Now" appeared on Music from and Inspired by the Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and later received the 2023 Hollywood Music in Media Award for Best Original Song in a Sci-Fi, Fantasy, or Horror Film. Later that month the four bonus tracks from limited-edition vinyl pressings were released as the vinyl EP GUTS: The Secret Tracks for Record Store Day Black Friday. During her tour in March 2024 she issued the deluxe edition GUTS (spilled), which added five bonus tracks. The following month she made a surprise Coachella appearance, joining No Doubt onstage for "Bathwater." Rodrigo and Nigro were also named ASCAP's 2024 Pop Music Songwriters of the Year, their second time receiving the honor.