Olivia Rodrigo was born on 20 February 2003 to Filipino-American parents Ronald and Sophia Rodrigo. She began her musical career at age 5 by learning how to play the piano. At age 11, Rodrigo started attending vocal classes, participating in competitions, and performing in plays, showcasing her singing talent.
In most of these plays and competitions, she performed original songs written by her.
Her rise to stardom began with her audition for a role in Parenthood at 6, but, she did not get the part. With a budding amount of talent and more hard work, her first big break came from Disney which she welcomed wholeheartedly. She starred as Paige Olivera, the lead in Disney Channel’s ‘Bizaaardvark’.
Rodrigo played Grace in An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success in 2017. It was about an American girl with a passion for baking. She participated in a baking competition, MasterChef Junior Baking Competition. A picture of her wearing a MasterChef apron went viral, many did not know that it was in this movie she wore the apron. In that same year, she starred in New Girl. Although, Rodrigo played a minor role, appearing as Terrinea in season 3, episode 18. As a student in a school with an anxious Principal, Jess is worried about not being cool enough.
Rise to stardom
By 2019, she got a role in a Musical production, ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’. She played Nini Salazar-Roberts, a musical theatre enthusiast with a passion for singing and theatre, who auditioned for Gabrielle in East High’s Production of High School Musical.
This catapulted her to the centre stage in the Music and Entertainment industry. Rodrigo composed and sang ‘All I Want’ which was one of the main songs used in the series. It was Nini Salazar’s stand-out song. She appeared in 3 seasons of the TV show.
The long wait was over, the teenage actress and songwriter, released her debut single in 2021 ‘Driver’s Licence’. It was a massive hit. It was nominated for many awards. Her debut album ‘Sour’ was released the same year in May. It was a musical phenomenon and a commercial success. The album won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. From a child actress to a musical enthusiast, and now a globally recognized pop star, with 3 Grammys – Rodrigo has taken centre stage.
Some of the featured songs on ‘Sour’ included All I Want, Out of the Old, Driver’s License, Hope It Ok, etc. All major hits.
Awards
Also, at the 2022 Grammy Awards ceremony, she was nominated and won Best New Artist and Best Pop Solo Performance for ‘Driver’s License’.
In 2021, she released ‘Deja Vu’, co-written by Dan Nigro. In the same year, she released ‘Good 4 U’. It was a massive hit also. It was nominated for Best Music Video. It won the International Song of the Year at the BRIT Awards in 2022. She was buzzing. All these were testaments to her dedication and commitment to her music.
Albums and tours
Later that year, she began her first tour in support of her debut album, ‘The Sour Tour‘. It began in April 2022 and ended in July. It grossed over $25 million from ticket sales. She sold out shows in 15 countries in Europe and North America where her concerts were. She broke the record for the number of tickets sold in a single day at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The New York Times called her tour “…a pop masterpiece.” At just 19 years old, the teenager was already making waves.
On the Tonight’s Show with Jimmy Kimmel, she announced that she was working on a new album to be released very soon.
The three-time Grammy Award-winning artist did not delay any longer. On September 8, 2023, she released her second studio album, GUTS. It features 12 tracks, including reworked versions of some songs from the Sour Album.
Her sophomore album was a triumph debuting at no.1 on the US Billboard 200, and certified Gold in the US and Canada. It surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify in just six weeks and broke the record for most streams in a single day on Spotify for a female artist with over 100 million streams.
‘The Spicy Pisces’ as she calls herself was nominated for 7 Grammy Awards at the 2024 Grammy Awards ceremony. The California-born native was nominated for Best Rock Song for ‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’, Record of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Song of the Year for ‘Vampire’, going up against the likes of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Doja Cat. Also, Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for GUTS.
She launched her GUTS TOUR in support of her album on February 23, 2023, at the Thousand Palms, Acrisure Arena in the United States.
The tour is ongoing and will run till October 22. The final show will be in Sydney, Australia with a four-day concert at the Qudos Bank Arena. So far, she has enthralled her fans with her powerful vocals and energetic performances. Olivia Rodrigo tickets have been in high demand as the has tour grossed over $55,779,180 from ticket sales with more than 23,000 expected to attend each show. The album has broken records and won the hearts of fans, solidifying Rodrigo’s place as a Pop sensation in international music.
Love life and relationships
With the spotlight on her, and at 21 years old, her love life has been subject to media attention and public interest. She was in a relationship with her male lead actor from the East High’s Musical production, Joshua Bassett. They dated within the period of their partnership in the series. By 2021, they broke up, dating only for one year.
Rodrigo was rumoured to have been in a relationship with Zack Bia, a DJ and social media personality. They reportedly broke up in 2022. She has also been linked with Ethan Wacker, an actor and musician.
However, their relationship is unclear at the moment. Her songs mostly centre on themes of heartbreak, love and self-discovery, possibly, inspired by the heartbreaks she had gone through.
She has also been open about her fight with depression and heartbreaks.
Deficiency
The 2022 Billboard Woman of the Year is one of many, and rare people that have Synaesthesia. It is a medical condition where two or more of the main five senses in the human body that on a normal day would work separately are involuntarily and in unison work together. People with this may see colours, and shapes when they sing or read. This was the case for Rodrigo.
She reportedly experienced seeing colours like purple, and blueish-purple while writing and singing. She advocates for people with her condition, that it is not a disease nor an illness.
Albeit, Olivia Rodrigo has built a strong fanbase for herself and will be here for a very long time.
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