Olivia Rodrigo Gushes Over Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez In New Interview
By Kelly Fisher
August 12, 2021
Olivia Rodrigo spring-boarded from her Disney fame to global stardom with her powerful breakup anthems — and the “Drivers License” artist nodded to some of her biggest inspirations.
Rodrigo, 18, delved into the stories behind her most popular songs in an in-depth interview with Variety.
The conversation included credit to Rodriogo’s No. 1 songwriting influence Taylor Swift, and an important word of advice from fellow Disney star-turned pop star Selena Gomez.
“It’s so nice to be welcomed into the music industry and so great to be supportive of other women,” Rodrigo told Variety. “(Swift) wrote me a letter a while ago, and she wrote something about how you make your own luck in the world, and how you treat other people always comes back to you.”
Rodrigo also credited the “Love You Like a Love Song” singer's kindness as she launches into the next chapter of her career:
“I met Selena, and she was so kind,” Rodrigo told Variety. “She talked to me a lot about prioritizing mental health, which I think is really important in this industry. All of us were in the limelight very young. … That can be taxing on your psyche and can bring about all these weird issues.”
Rodrigo’s latest in-depth interview is peppered with big-name artists who influenced her path to stardom. She grew up listening to No Doubt — and front woman Gwen Stefani — Pearl Jam, the White Stripes, Green Day and Weezer. Even pop-punk princess Avril Lavigne credited Rodrigo’s talent after hearing “Drivers License.”
Rodrigo also dished about the “narrative being tossed around” about the hit breakup song, and how she captures such relatable emotions in her globally-famous tracks. Read her Variety interview here.
Olivia Rodrigo will be performing at this year’s Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas this September. Fans can tune in to watch the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival via an exclusive livestream on The CW App and CWTV.com. The festival will also be broadcast live on iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets. The CW Network will also broadcast a two-night television special on Saturday, October 2nd and Sunday, October 3rd from 8-10pm ET/PT. Tickets are currently on sale via AXS.com.