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After attending Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS World Tour, it is solidified in my mind that she holds a one-of-a-kind position in the music industry today.
Starting with her choice of opener, giving Chappell Roan the spotlight, and introducing her glitzy pop perfection to a newer, more mainstream audience set the tone for what was to come: a more free and open version of Olivia that her audience has yet to see.
As the lights dimmed, the humming of “bad idea right?” started playing, and the entire arena erupted into undeniable fangirl mania.
As each song passed, it became clearer to me that there wasn’t one song for which everybody didn’t know the words. In today’s hit-driven culture, it has become less and less likely for people- specifically the younger generation- to invest in an artist's entire catalog or discography. This issue, however, does not apply to Olivia. With the success of SOUR, it is arguable that every single one of her songs was a hit. GUTS, being her less commercially successful yet more critically acclaimed album, it was clear that her fans were just as invested and emotionally attached to this album as they were to the first one.
The biggest stand out to me while watching the show was that although Olivia had a very strong stage presence and was giving a full performance, she did not allow it to overshadow her genuine connection and attention to the audience. Throughout the show, she interacted and engaged with the audience graciously and humbly, which made the show even more enjoyable to watch.
The internet has a habit of criticizing new artists and comparing them heavily to performers from the past, claiming the new artists are less talented vocally, less creative, or all around are just rip-offs of people from the past. If any of these critics attended a night of the GUTS Tour, I think they would have a change of heart as Olivia's impact on her fans and audience was unique and singular in a way that only she could pull off.