If you’re anything like me you are probably wondering who is Olivia Rodrigo?
Being a young person I’d like to think that I’m very up-to-date on all the “cool kids” music. Then the “drivers license” shook the world (not mine), and I still haven’t listened to the song in its entirety. So who is Olivia Rodrigo?
Rodrigo is only 18 years old and was a Disney star. This isn’t a shock. Disney has produced many young singers into musical stardom including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers and many others. Rodrigo starred in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” which was after my time, so I’ve deemed this version to be a waste of time.
But many enjoyed the series; it had two seasons and was a chance to the classic even if it wasn’t featuring Zac Efron and the gang.
After two seasons, Rodrigo had to do something else with her career. This resulted in a song called “drivers license.”
“Drivers license,” according to Billboard, is the first song to hit one billion global streams in 2021. The single blew up on Tik Tok with parodies, covers and remakes telling the other side of the story. The remakes were funny if you can find them. In one of them, user @oneilthomas97 sings a version from the neighbor’s point-of-view as he watches Rodrigo through his window.
Then, of course, the controversy. Rodrigo was singing about Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett. Basset is Rodrigo’s ex-partner and former co-star on “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”
There is also a second song, “deja vu” and an album that comes out on Friday May 21. Rodrigo only has two songs but is the topic of conversation for many “hip” people. I mean, I’m writing about her.
But this is only because I don’t understand how an 18-year-old with an average-sounding voice (this is me being nice — she sounds like she has a cold) and mediocre lyrics is so popular. Is this what music has come to? Or do I just want to dislike pop music in favor of the more raw and real music? Cue up Tupac or Led Zeppelin, please, anything else.
Until someone gives me a compelling reason to listen to Rodrigo (or if she comes out with a real song, which I doubt will ever happen), I won’t be going out my way to listen to her. If you do like Rodrigo, I’m not judging you. Somebody has to listen to her music.
