Olivia Rodrigo is a superstar in the making, a powerhouse in her own right, and an incredible singer/songwriter who first hit the pop culture realm via the Disney Channel in Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, followed soon by her debut single, “Drivers License” taking over radio waves.
Rodrigo’s debut song sent us all into our feels, and when I say all of us, I mean even those of us who are 25 (plus a few years old) were suddenly belting out the lyrics like we were experiencing our teenage heartache again. “I got my driver’s license last week…” try well over a decade ago, but that pain was given new life when we heard her voice crack as she sang about it.
Rodrigo didn’t stop there; every time you see her name pop up on your radio or decide to put on one of her albums for your listening pleasure, you know you’re signing up for an emotional roller coaster; there will be laughs, tears, and all-out dance parties happening within moments of each other, and it’s cathartic. Music is healing, and Rodrigo’s is as much about the hurt as what comes next.
With talent and power like Rodrigo’s, it’s no surprise that she was a music aficionado long before she hit the airwaves. So when did she start her journey to becoming the superstar we know today? Let’s take a look.
How old was Olivia Rodrigo when she started singing?
Rodrigo actually began singing when she was five years old, taking lessons from local coaches and going out for talent shows and performances to showcase her growing talents. Rodrigo didn’t stop at honing those singing talents; she also plays piano, learned to play guitar by the time she was 12, and her biggest passion is songwriting. She spoke with the LA Times and shared her feelings on seeing herself referred to as “the next big pop star:”
“I’ve only ever seen myself as a songwriter. I remember the first time an article said, ‘Olivia Rodrigo is the next big pop star’ — I was like, There are so many things that go along with ‘pop star’ that I never thought I’d be, but I’ll take it.”
Rodrigo moved to Los Angeles when she got the role in Bizaardvark, and while acting was something she loved, it’s not where her dreams started or ended; singing and songwriting are where Rodrigo finds herself feeling most “at home” in this world. Her first album, Sour, was released in 2021 when she was 18 and helped her bring home some incredible awards across various ceremonies that honor the best and brightest in music.
Rodrigo isn’t just a one-album girl, and she recently wowed us with a new one that we can’t get enough of.
Olivia pours her Guts out
Rodrigo’s sophomore album, Guts, was released on Sept. 8, and if you’ve been obsessing over it since the moment it hit your streaming platforms, you’re not alone. The 12-track album is full of ballads and tunes that make you feel everything from that teenage heartache to love, jealousy, and butterflies in your stomach all over again.
If Rodrigo’s talent has not yet swept you up, now is the perfect time to allow yourself the joy of giving her music a listen; we recommend starting with “Vampire” and moving on to “Pretty isn’t Pretty” before playing “The Grudge” and then crying about “Drivers License” — it’s a beautiful and devastating journey.