Olivia Rodrigo has just acknowledged Lorde as one of her biggest musical inspirations and even credited the songwriter for changing “the trajectory” of her life.
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In the Hollywood Reporter’s latest edition of “Songwriters Roundtable”, Olivia Rodrigo spoke to other songwriting legends about her first songs, creative processes, and greatest influences. One such influence is Lorde, who’s debut album has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Its single “Royals” was a massive hit at the time, which is how Olivia first heard the singer on the radio. “It was one of those ‘pinch me’ moments where you always remember, a snapshot memory, like, ‘Oh my God, what is this?!’ Changes the trajectory of your life” she told the group, which consisted of Billie Eilish, John Batiste, Dua Lipa and others.
“I remember getting my first phone — I was probably 12 or 13 — and the first thing I did was download Lorde Pure Heroine” she said, outing herself as the youngest artist at the roundtable. “I love that record so much and I remember listening to it as I first started writing songs and being blown away by her lyrics that are just about being a teenager living in the suburbs.”
Her admiration is well deserved, as Lorde’s Pure Heroine remains a steadfast album in Pop history nearly a decade later. The charts alone could prove it - single “Royals” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, earned the artist two GRAMMYs for Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, and was diamond certified for selling over 10 million units.
But what truly made the album impactful was its writing. Lorde poetically narrates the utter brutalism of a self-aware teenager in the digital (and pessimistic) age. With songs like “Team” and “White Teeth Teens,” Lorde presents herself as an anti-luxury outsider who, at the same time, is terrified of growing up. “This dream isn’t feeling sweet / We’re reeling through the midnight streets / And I’ve never felt so alone / It feels so scary getting old” she sings in the power ballad “Ribs”. In just one phrase, Lorde manages to capture the feeling of growing up in the nothingness of the suburbs, yet grappling with the idea of moving beyond its confines.
“I just remember never hearing my life be put into a song like that. It just made being young and doing these seemingly unimportant things feel so sacred and beautiful” Rodrigo explained to the other songwriters, who were nodding in agreement. “That album is one of my favorites and [Lorde] still inspires me a lot to this day.”
To see if that inspiration has seeped into her music, try listening to Audacy’s Olivia Rodrigo Radio and Lorde Radio back-to-back. And for the full “Songwriters Roundtable” interview, you can follow this link from the Hollywood Reporter. We can't wait to see what these two Pop power houses inspire in the New Year!