Rodrigo's debut studio album, SOUR, topped the charts globally and was met with widespread critical acclaim. She is nominated in seven categories at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year for SOUR, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year for "drivers license". Time named her the 2021 Entertainer of the Year and Billboard named her the 2022 Woman of the Year.
Rodrigo signed with Interscope Records and Geffen Records in 2020. She negotiated the record deal to secure for herself ownership of the masters of her music. On January 8, 2021, she released her debut single, "drivers license", which she co-wrote with producer Dan Nigro. Within the week of its release, "drivers license" was critically acclaimed, and broke Spotify's record twice for most daily streams ever for a non-holiday song with over 15.7 million global streams on January 11 and over 17 million global streams the next day. It went on to break another Spotify record for the first song in history to hit 80 million streams in 7 days. The song debuted at number one on Billboard Hot 100 and reached number one in numerous other countries. Rodrigo stated in an interview that "It's been the absolute craziest week of my life ... My entire life just, like, shifted in an instant."
On April 1, 2021, Rodrigo released her follow-up single, "deja vu", which debuted at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first artist to debut their first two releases in the top 10 of the Hot 100. The third single preceding her debut album, "good 4 u", followed on May 14, 2021, and became her second single to debut at number one on the Hot 100. SOUR, her debut studio album, was released on May 21, 2021, to critical acclaim. Charlie Gunn of The Forty-Five called it "the greatest coming-of-age album since early Taylor Swift or Lorde". Slate's Chris Molanphy said its first three singles alone established Rodrigo's "early status as Gen-Z's most versatile new artist". According to Clash critic Robin Murray, Rodrigo is regarded as one of Generation Z's finest artists, while Variety dubbed her "the Voice of her Generation" in its cover story of Rodrigo. SOUR debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and spent a total of five weeks at the spot, becoming the longest-reigning number-one album by a female artist in 2021.
In June 2021, Rodrigo premiered SOUR Prom, a prom-themed concert film on YouTube. On December 6, 2021, Rodrigo announced a world tour, including tour stops in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Three days later, she was named Entertainer of the Year by Time. In an Instagram post on December 24, 2021, Rodrigo uploaded a snippet of a Christmas song called "The Bels" that she wrote and recorded at age five. According to Billboard, Rodrigo closed 2021 as the best-selling singles artist worldwide, placing eight songs on the year-end Global 200 chart, including "drivers license" at number four, "good 4 u" at number nine, and "Deja Vu" at number 27. In the US and UK, SOUR was respectively the third and fourth best-selling album of 2021. SOUR and "drivers license" were also respectively Spotify's most streamed album and song globally. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked Rodrigo as the tenth best-selling artist of 2021 and SOUR as the second best-selling album of 2021.
On February 17, 2022, Rodrigo announced and released the trailer of her Disney+ documentary film 'Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u', which was released on March 25, 2022.
Rodrigo cites Taylor Swift and Lorde as her idols and main musical inspirations, and also dubbed herself Swift's biggest fan "in the whole world". She dubs The White Stripes band member Jack White her "hero of all heroes". Her other influences include Alanis Morissette, Kacey Musgraves, Fiona Apple, St. Vincent, Cardi B, Gwen Stefani, and Avril Lavigne.
Start of Something New
Olivia Rodrigo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That anything can happen when you take a chance
I never believed in what I couldn't see
I never opened my heart to all the possibilities, oh
I know that somethin' has changed
Never felt this way
And right here, tonight
This could be the start of something new
It feels so right to be here with you, oh
And now, lookin' in your eyes
I feel in my heart (feel in my heart)
The start of somethin' new
I never knew that it could happen, 'til it happened to me, oh yeah
I didn't know it before, but now it's easy to see, oh
It's the start of somethin' new
It feels so right to be here with you, oh
And now, looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
The start of somethin' new
In Olivia Rodrigo's "Start of Something New," she sings about the idea of taking chances and opening yourself up to new opportunities. The song begins with a self-reflective tone, where Rodrigo admits to living in her "own world" and not understanding the concept of anything happening when you take a chance. She sings about never believing in what she couldn't see and never opening her heart to all the possibilities life has to offer.
However, as the song progresses, Rodrigo proclaims that something has changed, and she's never felt this way before. She acknowledges that this moment may be the start of something new, and it feels so right to be there with the person that she's singing to. Looking into their eyes, she feels this new beginning in her heart.
The song's underlying message is to take risks and embrace opportunities, even if they're unfamiliar. Rodrigo uses the lyrics to show that taking a chance and opening your heart can lead to something exciting and build connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Livin' in my own world, didn't understand
I was living in my own bubble, oblivious to the world outside and its endless possibilities.
That anything can happen when you take a chance
I realized that taking a risk can lead to unexpected outcomes that I never thought could have happened before.
I never believed in what I couldn't see
I've always been skeptical of things that I couldn't see with my own eyes, and never really trusted anything beyond it.
I never opened my heart to all the possibilities, oh
I never allowed myself to become vulnerable to the opportunities that existed in the world that could change my life forever.
I know that somethin' has changed
I can feel that a shift has taken place in my life, and something is going to be different from now on.
Never felt this way
I have never experienced such intense emotions before, and it's both scary and thrilling at the same time.
And right here, tonight
At this moment, I am surrounded by a new reality that is shaping my future.
This could be the start of something new
I am aware that this pivotal moment could be the beginning of a new path that leads to endless opportunities.
It feels so right to be here with you, oh
Being in your presence feels like the perfect fit, and everything just feels like it is falling in place.
And now, lookin' in your eyes
As I gaze into your eyes, I can sense a connection that is deeper than words can express, and it sets my heart ablaze.
I feel in my heart (feel in my heart)
I can feel a stirring deep within myself which confirms that this moment is indeed significant.
The start of somethin' new
This moment signifies the beginning of an exciting and new adventure that I am ready to embark on.
I never knew that it could happen, 'til it happened to me, oh yeah
I never thought that such fantastic things could happen to me until I experienced them firsthand.
I didn't know it before, but now it's easy to see, oh
I was in the dark about what could happen if I opened myself up to new experiences, but now I understand it is easy to see.
Lyrics © ACUM Ltd.
Written by: Matthew R. T. Gerrard, Robert S. Nevil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Samerah Slaughter
Livin' in my own world, didn't understand
That anything can happen, when you take a chance
I never believed in (Ohh) what I couldn't see
I never opened my heart (Ohh) to all the possibilities, ooh
[Pre-Chorus 1:]
I know that something has changed
Never felt this way
And right here, tonight
[Chorus:]
This could be the start of something new
It feels so right to be here with you, oh
And now, lookin' in your eyes
I feel in my heart (Feel in my heart) the start of something new
Oh, yeah
never knew that it could happen, 'til it happened to me
Oh, yeah
I didn't know it before, but now it's easy to see, oh
[Chorus:]
It's the start of something new
It feels so right to be here with you, oh
And now, looking in your eyes
I feel in my heart
That it's the start of something new
It feels so right (so right) to be here with you, oh
And now, lookin' in your eyes (Lookin' in your eyes)
I feel in my heart (Feel in my heart)
The start of something new (The start of something new)
The start of something new
ThatGuyDylan _
I thought this was gonna be a mess but I’m gladly surprised. She’s not near the same as the original, but she’s really talented!
Christian Salgado
ThatGuyDylan _ she’s doing her own character, she’s not exactly Gabriella, she just play Gabriella in the school play
ThatGuyDylan _
Christian Salgado I know lol. I’m just saying if someone is singing the same song as someone else, then people will be hesitant cause they think they might completely mess it up.
David Vilchez
Beautiful to see how she stands on her own, and sings a song that we know a duet so beautifully
Maria Ximena Otalora Cordoba
@ThatGuyDylan _ so people always hate online covers because they mess it up?
ThatGuyDylan _
Maria Ximena Otalora Cordoba no..? More people hate seeing something they loved change.
Naxs
The moment when she imagines to be on the stage, is like watching Rachel Berry on Glee 🥰
Scarlett Stahl
Naxs I was thinking the same thing.
Viserys I
rachel berry is so much better tho
Viserys I
Fluffy Fluff yes i am