Don’t miss multi-platinum artist Olivia Rodrigo as she takes part in a Superstar Q&A moderated by Billboard’s Deputy Editor, Lyndsey Havens.
Category
🎵
MusicTranscript
00:00Hello, hello, hi! Hi, guys! Thanks for coming.
00:05Hello, everybody. I am thrilled to moderate today's Superstar Q&A with our sensational
00:10touring artist of the year, singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo.
00:14Round of applause.
00:16So before we start, I'm going to quickly brag for you.
00:19So her Guts World Tour is one of the biggest pop tours of the decade.
00:23She sold out 95 shows in over 60 cities across 20-plus countries.
00:28She has had three number-one hits on the Hot 100, two number-one albums on the Billboard 200,
00:33and has won three Grammys to date.
00:35And all of this has happened in just a few short years.
00:38So we obviously have a lot to get into. Thank you for being here today.
00:42Oh, thank you for having me.
00:43So I want to start by talking about the fact that you said you made Guts with the live show in mind.
00:48So let us into that process a little bit.
00:51And how did the live show impact what we hear on the album?
00:55Yeah, I had a really interesting career trajectory.
00:58I put out my first album, Sour, in the middle of lockdown,
01:01and it was more successful than I could have ever even imagined.
01:06And so all that happened, and I had never even played a show of my own before.
01:10So after going on that first Sour tour, I learned so much about touring,
01:14and I learned how fun playing these songs like Brutal and Good For You were on stage.
01:20And so kind of with that information in my back pocket, I went to make Guts,
01:25and I really wanted to make some songs that would be really fun to perform live
01:29with driving bass and fun guitar and songs that you could just scream.
01:33So yeah, that was very informative for me.
01:36We definitely screamed on this tour.
01:38So you're also a Pinterest girl.
01:41I know that you made some reference boards using Pinterest for the tour.
01:44What do you remember being on those from the start?
01:47Oh, yeah.
01:49Lots of blondie outfits and PJ Harvey outfits.
01:54I found this image.
01:56I think it was from some Alice in Wonderland shoot or something
01:59where it was an upskirt of a girl sitting on a piece of plexiglass,
02:02and you could see her cute little bloomers underneath,
02:04and she was leaning over the plexiglass.
02:06And from the moment I saw that picture on Pinterest,
02:08I was obsessed with this idea of having a piece of plexiglass on the stage
02:12and being able to film up.
02:14I've never seen anything like that before in a live show, so I got that idea.
02:19I'm not a big dancer.
02:22I'm not like a dance person.
02:23I don't know a lot about it, but I was really obsessed with these images
02:26of people kind of creating shapes with their bodies.
02:30I thought that was really beautiful and artful,
02:32and so I tried to kind of incorporate that into the show as well.
02:35One of the things that you knew you wanted early on,
02:38which is one of my favorite parts, was the moon.
02:40When you fly over the audience on the moon, what inspired that?
02:43How did you know that you wanted to do that?
02:45Yeah.
02:46I just wanted to have some aspect of the show
02:49where I could really connect with the audience members,
02:52even the audience members who were farther in the back
02:54or up a little higher than others.
02:56I didn't want to just interact with the pit,
02:59and so that was a fun way to kind of get to do it.
03:02It was one of my favorite parts of the show.
03:04I would always wave to girls, and they'd be like,
03:06oh, me, and I'd be like, yeah, you.
03:09So that was so fun.
03:10Yeah, it's just nice to feel connected to everyone
03:12and make everyone feel like they're part of the show.
03:14Yeah.
03:15For those of us who have not flown over thousands,
03:17what does it feel like up there?
03:19Do you get nervous?
03:20Is it comfortable for you?
03:21You know what?
03:22Luckily, I'm not scared of heights.
03:23Otherwise, it would have been quite a terrifying show.
03:26But yeah, I was thoroughly strapped in, so that was good.
03:31Originally, actually, in the mock-ups we had,
03:34I was standing on the moon playing guitar,
03:36which would have been significantly scarier,
03:38so I'm happy that I got to sit.
03:40Yeah, it was really fun.
03:41It was one of my favorite parts of the show.
03:43I know another favorite part, one of your favorite songs
03:45to perform is All-American Bitch.
03:47Yeah.
03:48What makes that moment so special for you in the show?
03:51Yeah, I love that song.
03:52It's one of my, I'm quite proud of that song,
03:56just on a songwriting level.
03:58And there's a part of the song where I'd make the whole audience
04:01scream and say, think of something that you hate
04:03or something that really ticks you off,
04:05and just let it all out and scream.
04:07And I think that's so powerful.
04:09It's very cathartic.
04:11It kind of feels like a rage room or something.
04:14There's something so cool about being able to be in a room
04:16with thousands of people and to be anonymous
04:19and just let all your emotions out.
04:21I just love that aspect of music,
04:23and so that was really fun to do every night.
04:25Yes, I've heard many people describe that as cathartic
04:28for themselves as well, but I'm curious,
04:30with the tour being on a bit of a break,
04:32have you found an alternative release
04:35instead of screaming with your fans?
04:37I've been listening to a lot of heavy emo music
04:41and stuff like that.
04:42I've been cranking that in my headphones,
04:44so that's about as close as I'll get to that these days, I guess.
04:47One of my favorite things is your choreographer, Melissa.
04:50She said that you created a really trusting environment.
04:53So I'm curious, how do you accomplish that
04:55from day one of putting a touring team together?
04:58Yeah, I was very lucky to be surrounded with both people
05:04who had been in the industry for 25 years
05:07and who had been on countless tours
05:09and had all this experience,
05:11and simultaneously there were so many people
05:13who that was their first tour,
05:15and they had this kind of zest and enthusiasm,
05:18and so I think that paired together
05:20made a really beautiful, encouraging environment
05:23that was very calming
05:27in an environment that's very erratic sometimes.
05:30So I attribute that to why the tour was so fun
05:34for everyone involved.
05:35Yeah, obviously trust is the foundation of everything.
05:38I'm curious, what are the most important elements,
05:41aside from that, about any tour or live show
05:43that you put together?
05:44What do you need to have?
05:48I mean, just songs that you're proud of.
05:50That sounds pretty obvious,
05:52but I feel so proud of so many of my songs,
05:55and so getting to perform them every night
05:57is really fun for me.
05:59I think connecting with the audience
06:00and kind of bringing them into your world
06:02and making it sort of interactive
06:05was something that I really wanted to achieve
06:07with this tour,
06:09and kind of just behind the scenes,
06:11just having an environment that is trusting,
06:14like you said, and encouraging and safe.
06:17I think I always tried to prioritize that.
06:20When you go to see live music,
06:22when you're not busy touring the world,
06:24are you able to enjoy it yourself as a fan,
06:27or is your creative mind
06:28sort of always thinking about your own show?
06:30Oh my gosh, no, I love seeing shows these days.
06:33I can go to a concert and I can scream
06:35and not have to worry about
06:36not having a voice the next day,
06:38and I can drink a beer,
06:39like, whoa, this is amazing.
06:42So I actually enjoy it like 10 times more.
06:46I know this is an impossible question,
06:48but who is your all-time favorite performer,
06:50and why, if you had to pick?
06:53Gosh, that's so hard.
06:54I mean, Beyonce is the first that comes to mind.
06:57I don't know, I love Karen O.
07:00I think her performances are just so insane
07:04and out there and very inspiring.
07:07Yeah, so many people.
07:09Yeah, Karen O,
07:10I definitely get that one coming through.
07:13Outside of some of the key visual elements
07:15that we've seen,
07:16there are a lot of other highlights of this show,
07:17so the tour marked the launch of your fund for good.
07:20Why is it so important to engage
07:22and activate your fans
07:23when they do come through to these shows?
07:26Yeah, I knew that I wanted to give back
07:29as part of this tour,
07:30and I'm very aware that lots of young girls
07:33come to my shows,
07:34and women's issues have always been
07:36really important to me.
07:37So at the beginning of this tour,
07:38we started fund for good,
07:40which is this global initiative
07:41that supports reproductive rights
07:44and victims of gender-based violence.
07:47And so, yeah, it was really meaningful to me
07:50to get to kind of learn more
07:51about these organizations and support them,
07:53and I'm really excited to do more of it in the future.
07:57Yeah, a round of applause for that.
07:58It's phenomenal.
08:00As if putting on a stellar show wasn't enough.
08:02You know, you really take it the extra mile.
08:05I am going to call it something
08:06that I think is phenomenal,
08:07but I'm curious, first, in your own words,
08:08what have you seen as the most significant impact
08:11of the fund since you launched it?
08:14Yeah, we donated a lot of money
08:16to the National Network of Abortion Funds,
08:20and it's like 100 or so abortion funds across America,
08:26and they work to support,
08:28both logistically and financially,
08:30women who are seeking abortions,
08:32maybe if they live in a state where that's not possible
08:34or if it's not financially feasible for them.
08:37And so, you know, given the time,
08:39that was very meaningful.
08:41Absolutely.
08:44Very impressive.
08:46So what I wanted to call out
08:47that I'm incredibly impressed by
08:49is you donated all of the ticket profits
08:51from your first concert in the Philippines
08:53to a local charity supporting women's health.
08:55That was also your best-selling show of the tour.
08:57So I'm curious, you know, that hybrid,
09:00that perfect impact of two events,
09:02what does that mean for you?
09:04Yeah, I mean, that show personally
09:06was just so important.
09:08I'm part Filipino,
09:09and that was actually the first time
09:10that I'd ever been to the Philippines,
09:12so just on a personal level, it was very special.
09:16And, you know, I just really wanted to give back
09:18to that community who has just given me so much
09:20and just so enthusiastically supported me
09:22over the course of my whole career.
09:24So it's really important for me to do that.
09:26And, yeah, we donated all those proceeds
09:29to JAPAEGO, which is an organization
09:31that supports women in rural Philippines.
09:33So, yeah, it was a really special experience.
09:36I'm very happy that I got to do it.
09:38Yeah, yeah.
09:39I mean, keep the round of applause coming.
09:41Like, everything is just so amazing.
09:45More sort of, like, city-specific highlights is
09:48you sold out four nights at Madison Square Garden,
09:50six nights here in L.A.
09:52For those lucky enough in New York,
09:53you brought out NOAA Con,
09:54and in L.A. we got Chapel Rhone.
09:56Tell us about the strategy and the thought process
09:58for surprise guests throughout this tour.
10:01I mean, I don't know if it was really strategic.
10:04I was just like, they're awesome,
10:05and those are my friends.
10:06I want them to be on stage with me.
10:08And so, yeah, it was so fun for both of them.
10:11You know, I've heard some pretty loud screams
10:14in my life over the years,
10:15but announcing that they were going to come on stage with me,
10:18just the eruption of just screams and energy
10:21was like nothing I've ever heard before in my life.
10:23So it was really special.
10:25It always makes for a really fun show
10:26to bring someone else out.
10:27Absolutely.
10:29And even on the nights when there was no special guests,
10:31you made each city feel very special
10:33with its own curated tank, which I loved.
10:36What's the benefit of incorporating something
10:38that really spotlights each city each night?
10:41Yeah, it sort of came to be as an accident.
10:45I had this vision of having, like, sparkly shorts
10:48and a tank top where you could, like,
10:51see the red bra strap.
10:53And so my stylist brought a bunch of cute tank tops,
10:57and they all had little graphic tee things on them,
10:59and we're trying to find the right graphic,
11:01and we're like, oh, I don't know how I feel
11:02about having the same one every night.
11:04And I was like, why don't I just change it every night?
11:06And so we bought this machine
11:07where you could screen print tank tops,
11:09and, you know, we were kind of just, like, pooling ideas.
11:12Like, I'd be with other people on my team,
11:14like, well, what should we do for, like,
11:16I don't know, Nebraska or something.
11:18Like, what's something funny we could put on there?
11:20And so it became a sort of fun creative outlet
11:23in and of itself.
11:24Totally.
11:25I imagine, like, especially when you're on tour,
11:26and, you know, a lot of it's just so rehearsed,
11:28and you get to work that creative muscle
11:30night after night, come up with jokes.
11:32Yeah, totally.
11:33I was a fashion designer on tour, too.
11:35I feel like we got a preview of that tank
11:37when you came out with No Doubt, obviously.
11:38You know, the ND tank,
11:40and it's sort of become part of the whole tour aesthetic now.
11:42Yeah, definitely.
11:44So for those of us in the crowd,
11:46when we see that tank come on,
11:47unfortunately it signals the end of the show is near.
11:50So when you do hop off stage at the end,
11:52what is the first thing you do when your show wraps?
11:56Man, nothing exciting or glamorous.
11:58I ice my feet.
12:00Really sexy.
12:03Yeah, I jump around a lot, and my calves get sore.
12:06So, yeah, that's what I do.
12:08Take a shower, take off my makeup,
12:11and, you know, head back to the hotel.
12:13It's really not that exciting.
12:15It's a really interesting shift to go from, like,
12:17being in front of thousands of people
12:18to, like, being alone in your hotel room.
12:20It's very funny.
12:21Yeah, I'm sure it feels very quiet.
12:23Yeah.
12:25Your tour promoter, Live Nation, said that
12:27the demand alone for these shows indicated
12:29you could have packed stadiums for this tour,
12:31especially coming from theaters on the last run.
12:34How does knowing that make you feel?
12:37Yeah, that was so wild for me to hear
12:39and also to experience, like, in each of the cities
12:43that I would go to.
12:44Sometimes I'd go and grab a coffee,
12:45and I'd meet someone who's a fan,
12:47and they're like, oh, I really tried to get tickets,
12:48but I couldn't, and that was just so wild to me.
12:51And, you know, I wanted everyone to kind of get the chance
12:55to watch the show, and so that's why we did this Netflix film
12:58that came out a few weeks ago.
13:00So, yeah, it's just wild to me.
13:03I actually can't wrap my head around that.
13:04It's quite crazy.
13:06Yes, like you just said, the Netflix concert special
13:09came out not too long ago.
13:10Tell us more about the decision
13:12and why it was so important to you for fans
13:14to be able to experience this at home
13:16if they couldn't go in person,
13:17or even if they did and they just wanted to relive it.
13:20Yeah, I mean, it was important to me to try to, you know,
13:24let people who maybe hadn't seen the show
13:26and wanted to see it to kind of get a glimpse
13:28into what it looked like.
13:29But also, I think it's kind of fun
13:31if you even went to the show
13:33to get to see it from a new viewpoint.
13:35There's so many fun angles,
13:37and you can kind of see my perspective
13:39of what the show looked like
13:40from where I was standing on the stage.
13:42So, yeah, it was great.
13:44I had a lot of fun filming it,
13:45and I hope people enjoy it.
13:47Yeah, I mean, spoiler for anyone who has not watched yet,
13:49you get to see the chapel moment
13:51if you weren't at that show,
13:52which was very exciting.
13:54What did you learn about yourself as a performer
13:57when you watched the special back?
13:59Oh, my gosh.
14:03I was trying not to be too critical the whole time.
14:05I'm just like, just be nice to yourself.
14:07It's really weird to...
14:08It's really weird because I know that show,
14:09like, the back of my hand.
14:10I've done it so many times,
14:11and yet I'd never gotten to be an audience member
14:13and watch it.
14:14And so, yeah, watching it, I was like,
14:16why are you so nervous?
14:18You got it, girl. You got it.
14:19But, yeah.
14:20Clearly, it was a success by the time you watched it.
14:23You know, we had all bought in.
14:25Did anything surprise you
14:27from seeing yourself perform for the first time?
14:32Oh, I don't know.
14:33I was working out so much on tour,
14:35and I watched the thing back,
14:36and I was like, yeah, I got muscles in my arms
14:38for the first time in my life.
14:40That was surprising.
14:44One of the things I love that you said
14:45in our Billboard cover story
14:46is that it could be cool to show your future kids
14:49what their mom was able to do at 21.
14:51Aw.
14:52Yeah, it's very sweet.
14:53When you think about your legacy,
14:55you know, if you ever sit there and think about that,
14:58what exactly comes to mind for you?
15:01Oh, yeah, wow.
15:03Deep question.
15:05I don't know.
15:06I hope I can just bring joy and connection to people.
15:09If I can write a song that inspires someone
15:13or makes them feel seen or connected to something,
15:16then I think that's a job well done in my book.
15:19Yeah.
15:20Yeah, absolutely.
15:22It's crazy to think that your tour will wrap in 2025.
15:26If you have had a moment to think about
15:28what you are most looking forward to doing after that,
15:31do you have a list in mind?
15:33Man, I'm so excited to just rot on the couch
15:36and just watch TV all day and eat so much food.
15:40Yeah, that's what I'm going to do.
15:42Do you, I'm sure when you're on tour,
15:44are there shows in the back of your mind
15:46that you are waiting to watch or movies?
15:48Oh, my God, yeah.
15:49I watched Sex and the City every day on tour.
15:51That was my routine.
15:53I watched probably, yeah,
15:54I probably watched the whole thing like twice on tour.
15:56It was amazing.
15:57It's easy now that it's on Netflix.
15:58Yeah.
15:59Right up there with the concert special.
16:02Well, thank you for your time tonight.
16:04Before you go,
16:05we do have something very special to present to you.
16:08So we're going to bring up
16:13a very special guest with a very special something.
16:18Yes.
16:19Is this on?
16:20Okay.
16:21Olivia, before you go
16:24and get ready to take your Guts tour
16:26to its fifth continent,
16:28we wanted to recognize the enormous impact
16:31that you've had this year on the touring business
16:34in so many inspiring ways.
16:36You've already grossed $167 million,
16:40according to Billboard box score,
16:42and you've managed to do it
16:43while keeping your ticket prices affordable for fans.
16:47You've rocketed from theaters to arenas.
16:50You're inspiring inclusion and diversity
16:53by fronting this rock band of women
16:56and trans and non-binary people,
17:00and you've used your stage to build an equitable future
17:04for women and girls through your fund for good.
17:07So on behalf of Billboard
17:09and on behalf of my two daughters,
17:11who will probably never forgive me
17:13for not bringing them here tonight,
17:15please accept this award
17:18for our Touring Artist of the Year,
17:20and we hope many artists will follow in your footsteps.
17:26We appreciate that.
17:34Sweet.
17:35Thank you so much.
17:36Thanks for coming.
17:37Thank you, guys.
17:39Nice to see you.
17:40Have a good night.
17:41Congratulations.