Behind the Massive Success of Olivia Rodrigo

From Disney star, to internationally loved music sensation, Olivia Rodrigo has become one of the biggest names in pop within the span of a few years.

Transcript

00:00 From Disney star to internationally loved music sensation, Olivia Rodrigo has become

00:05 one of the biggest names in pop, all within the span of a few years.

00:14 Olivia Rodrigo is a Filipino-American and was born in Riverside County, California.

00:19 Rodrigo first dived into the entertainment industry at just six years old, when she began

00:23 taking acting and singing classes at the Temecula Music Teacher's Studio.

00:28 Within no time, Rodrigo was performing at local talent shows and venues throughout her

00:32 childhood, including the Boys and Girls Club Idols and Temecula Live.

00:36 By 12 years old, Rodrigo had landed a role in an Old Navy commercial, and soon after,

00:41 when she was 13, she made her Disney Channel debut as Paige Olvera on Bizaardvark.

00:46 By 2019, she landed her biggest Disney Channel role in High School Musical the Musical The

00:50 Series, where she played the female lead, Nina Salzar Roberts.

00:55 Rodrigo's role in High School Musical allowed her to showcase her ever-improving vocal talent,

01:00 as well as earned her a loyal, young following.

01:03 Rodrigo released her first single, "Driver's License," a month before her 18th birthday,

01:08 after signing a record deal with Interscope and Geffen Records.

01:11 The single experienced explosive success, and Rodrigo attributes the first time she

01:16 realized she was famous to the reaction that song got.

01:19 "They did an SNL sketch about 'Driver's License.'"

01:27 "It was on my 18th birthday, and they did this entire sketch about the song, and I just

01:31 remember sitting in my living room being like, 'What is going on?

01:34 That's so crazy.

01:35 This can't be real.'"

01:36 By May of 2021, Rodrigo was dropping her debut album, Sour.

01:40 Sour was met with widespread critical acclaim, the Billboard Hot 100 number one spot, and

01:46 an impressive three Grammy Awards.

01:48 While fans eagerly awaited more music from the star, it wasn't until 2023 that Rodrigo

01:54 announced her sophomore album, Guts, much to fans' delight.

01:57 Guts has only further propelled Rodrigo into the spotlight, with multiple hit songs coming

02:02 off of the LP.

02:03 One of the things fans love most about Guts is Rodrigo's ability to bring angsty pop

02:07 rock back into the limelight, with many noting similarities between Rodrigo, Paramore, and

02:12 Avril Lavigne.

02:13 The top song off of Guts, "Vampire," currently sits at over 400 million streams on Spotify

02:20 and only continues to rise.

02:22 On September 13, Rodrigo announced a world tour for Guts, including a total of 77 shows,

02:29 so fans will get the chance to see the budding star live and in action.