Olivia Rodrigo On How A Lorde Song Changed The 'Trajectory' Of Her Life

Olivia Rodrigo is a major fan of alternative music, and recently recalled the first time she heard Lorde's "Royals," admitting that it changed the "trajectory" of her life.

“I remember hearing that song on the radio at the time… It was one of those ‘pinch me’ moments where you always remember, a snapshot memory, like, ‘Oh my God, what is this?!’ Changes the trajectory of your life,” Rodrigo said during The Hollywood Reporter’s recent Songwriter Roundtable discussion, which also included artists like Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa.

It wasn't just the song that was impactful for the 20-year-old artist, but Lorde's whole debut album Pure Heroine. “I remember listening to it as I first started writing songs and just being blown away by her lyrics that are just about being a teenager living in the suburbs,” Rodrigo added. “I just remember never hearing my life be put into a song like that where it just made being young and doing these seemingly unimportant things feel so sacred.”

Lorde isn't the only alternative artist Rodrigo considers an influence. Last year, she named Jack White, Kathleen Hanna, and St. Vincent as mentors. She's also working on her "death metal scream" for her upcoming GUTS world tour.

Watch the full discussion below, and listen to Rodrigo talk about Lorde around the 6:45 mark.