Among the movement's newest revelations is Olivia Rodrigo, who at 17 became an overnight phenomenon with the success of her debut single, "Drivers License," the first single off her debut album, 2021's Sour. Its heart-wrenching songs, written in the aftermath of Rodrigo's first major heartbreak, signaled the makings of a distinctive songwriting talent.
Her latest album, 2023's Guts, proved Sour's ability to connect wasn't just beginner's luck, with Rodrigo writing just as vividly about her foray into fame and the awkwardness, insecurities, and bad decisions young women face in their late teens and early 20s — whether or not the entire world is watching.
Ahead of Olivia Rodrigo's sold-out show at the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami on Wednesday, March 6, here are some of her most brutal lyrics.
"Drivers License"
"I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing/Over all the noise."Rodrigo's debut single expertly captures one of the most tragic moments of any breakup: hitting a milestone that you always envisioned celebrating with your partner. The example she uses is so hyper-specific that it risks alienating anyone above the age of 16. Instead, the song tapped into a universal truth about missed opportunities and stolen potential in relationships. The song's bridge — almost immediately lauded as a standout of the decade — drove home the longing. No matter your age, it can take a long time to quiet the distant echo of an ex's voice and laughter in your mind.
"Logical"
"Brought up the girls you could have instead/Said I was too young, I was too soft/Can't take a joke, can't get you off."A recurring — and often troubling — topic on Rodrigo's sophomore album, Guts, is her dalliance with at least one older man. In "Vampire," she calls him a "bloodsucker" and "fame fucker" who "went for me, and not her/'cause girls your age know better." In "Logical," she writes of a "master manipulator" who can get her to believe anything, illogical as it may be. And when he wants to drive the knife, he aims for her greatest insecurities: her youth and inexperience.
"The Grudge"
"You have everything, and you still want more."Most of these lyrics are taken from Rodrigo's song bridges, and for good reason: She is perhaps the most successful graduate of the Taylor Swift School of Bridge Building. Swift, Rodrigo's longtime inspiration and onetime mentor, has kept song bridges going strong at a time when they appear to be disappearing, and Rodrigo has faithfully followed that tradition.
This makes it all the more shocking that Rodrigo appears to have used the skill set she gleaned from Swift in a scathing track widely rumored to be directed at her in the wake of a reported falling out. In the song, Rodrigo writes of a person who "built [her] up to watch [her] fall." Her fury builds and peaks as she wails about an adversary who has everything but still wants more. It's certainly plausible the line could apply to the woman who became a billionaire in 2023, has the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, became the first artist to win "Album of the Year" at the Grammys four times, and then watched her boyfriend win the Super Bowl in the same week, yet still managed to fight Rodrigo for writing credit on the song "Deja Vu," which Rodrigo admitted was inspired by Swift's song "Cruel Summer." The two women, once a fixture on each others' social media accounts, have never been seen together again.
"Good 4 U"
"And good for you, I guess that you've been working on yourself/I guess that therapist I found for you, she really helped."Much like "Drivers License" captured the longing for missed opportunities with an ex, "Good 4 U" tells of another tragedy of imagination: when your partner becomes the new-and-improved version of themselves you always envisioned, but not for you — for their next partner. It's a song about the sting of your ex, taking everything they learned from (and with) you and watching them become a better person for someone else. You do the work; they reap the benefits. Doesn't seem fair, does it?
"Get Him Back!"
"But I am my father's daughter, so maybe I could fix him."Rodrigo toys with dualities quite a bit on Guts, from her song "Lacy," on which the protagonist is the object of both her jealousy and desire, to "The Grudge," on which the person who wronged her is "still everything to me." But her juxtapositions are most skillful on "Get Him Back!," on which she fantasizes about both getting back with her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her ex-boyfriend. The lyric, "I wanna meet his mom/just to tell her her son sucks," deserves an honorable mention. Still, the mention of her dad wins out because of a background detail that makes the line even funnier: Rodrigo's dad is a family therapist.
Olivia Rodrigo. With Chappell Roan. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 6, at Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 786-777-1000; kaseyacenter.com. Sold out.
