Olivia Rodrigo at SiriusXM Studios in New York City in September.Photo:Theo Wargo/Getty
Theo Wargo/Getty
When you kick-start your career with achart-topping albumandmultiple Grammy Awards, where do you go from there?
That was the dilemma Olivia Rodrigo faced as she sat down to write the follow-up album toSour, her smash 2021 debut record.
“For the first few months of writingGutsI was dealing with a lot of noise in my head about whether it was going to be good enough or whether I could ever top what I did onSour,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue of her first album’s long-awaited successor, which came out on Friday. “It definitely adds a lot of pressure.”
It’s understandable why Rodrigo, 20, might feel the weight of the world on her shoulders. The star was just 17 years old when she released herdebut single “Drivers License”in 2021, and all butunprepared for the wayin which the ballad — which has now been streamed more than 1 billion times on Spotify — would change her life forever.
Olivia Rodrigo at the 2022 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.Brian Friedman/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
Brian Friedman/Variety/Penske Media via Getty
It went on to win best pop solo performance at the Grammys, whileSourwon her best new artist and best pop solo album trophies. When it came to writingGuts, its follow-up, Rodrigo teamed back up with her producer and songwriting partner Dan Nigro, and says she did her best to, well, follow her gut.
“I had to switch my mindset into just trying to write songs that I would like to hear on the radio and not trying to beat anything or achieve any sort of commercial success,” she says. “Then it became a lot more fun, and the music became a lot better.”
Rodrigo says she also found unexpected ways to alleviate pressure, like spending time with Nigro’s 18-month-old daughter Saoirse.
Olivia Rodrigo at YouTube Space in Los Angeles in June.Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for YouTube
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for YouTube
So far, it’s clear Rodrigo had little to worry about.Guts’lead single, “Vampire,”a piano ballad about a manipulative ex that swells into a rock anthem, hit No. 1 upon its release, and has been streamed nearly 350 million times. Then itsgrungy second single, “Bad Idea Right?” cracked the Top 10.
Though both songs center on an ex who behaved questionably, a central theme onSour, Rodrigo is certain that her songwriting has grown since her first record.
“When I wrote my first album, I was 17. I think everyone is super insecure at 17 and doubting themselves constantly.Am I talented? Can I do this?” she says. “[Now] I’m a lot happier, and I take myself a lot less seriously. I trust my gut more, and I trust my intuitions.”
For more on Olivia Rodrigo, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.
source: people.com
