By: SYDNEY YACULLO
At only 18 years old, Olivia Rodrigo has managed to become one of the most popular pop stars of 2021! Her debut single “Drivers License” broke incredible records, and is still in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
According to CNN, “Spotify announced that the song had set the platform’s record for most streams in a day for a non-holiday tune on Jan. 11. It then beat its own record on Jan 12.”Along with that, “Rodrigo’s song, about teenage heartbreak, also broke the record for “the biggest first week streaming debut ever globally” on Amazon Music following its release.”
Rodrigo is not only known for her pop hits, but also starred on the Disney Channel show “Bizaardvark” from 2016-2019. Her most recent project was starring on the Disney + Original, “High School Musical: the Musical The Series,” which is still ongoing today.
Around three months after the release of her record breaking single “Drivers Licence,” Rodrigo released her second single “Deja Vu” on April 1st. In contrast from “Drivers License,” this new hit was an upbeat summer pop song, making everyone on social media dance. A fan describes Rodrigo’s unique presence by saying, “Olivia has that feathery voice that you hear in a lot of TikTok songs, but a power behind it that makes her stand out.”
The backstory behind “Drivers Licence” was part of the reason fans were so invested. After some relationship drama with costar Joshua Bassett from “High School Musical: the Musical The Series” and a love triangle with former Disney star Sabrina Carpenter, Rodrigo released “Drivers Licence” and fans discovered the hidden meaning behind her lyrics. The song was relatable to teens as, “it’s about someone tearfully driving past their ex’s house, having finally obtained their driver’s license, but all for naught.”
After the release of “Deja Vu,” fans began speculating that this song was about Bassett as well. She sang lines such as:
“So when you gonna tell her
That we did that too?
She thinks it’s special
But it’s all reused.”
The song discusses, “an ex doing exactly the same things they did with her, with a new lover,” hence the title “Deja Vu.”
“Deja Vu” is currently #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and has been trending all over Tiktok in many challenges. Rodrigo is becoming a household name as each of her songs bring her more and more recognition.
Teens resonate with Rodrigo’s lyrics as she discusses teen heartbreak. Fans feel that they relate to her lyrics and her as a person. Not only do teens love her music, but Rodrigo’s biggest inspiration Taylor Swift has recognized her talent.
While Olivia and Taylor seem to be very fond of each other, people on the internet began to see similarities between “Deja Vu” and Swift’s song “Cruel Summer” released in 2019. Some believe that Olivia may have just taken some inspiration from her favorite artist, but others have accused her of copying Taylor. There seemed to be similarities in the bridges of both songs during “Rodrigo’s lines, “I know you get deja vu” and Swift’s, “I don’t want to keep secrets just to keep you.” Besides for the bridges, the rest of the songs were unique in their own ways, though they do both have a summer-y and upbeat vibe.
Rodrigo also recently announced that her debut album is on the way! The album is entitled “Sour,” and has a tracklist of 11 songs including “Drivers License” and “Deja Vu.” The release date is May 21st and fans are so excited to hear all of this new music from her!
This is definitely not the end of rising star Olivia Rodrigo, as some predict that she may be “the next Taylor Swift” one day!
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