Olivia Rodrigo on Owning Her Music and Finding Her Voice (September 2023)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Olivia Rodrigo on Owning Her Music and Finding Her Voice

Podcast: Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist
Host: Willie Geist
Guest: Olivia Rodrigo
Episode Date: September 2023 (Recorded minutes after Olivia's TODAY Show concert following the release of "GUTS")

Overview

In this intimate and lively episode, Willie Geist sits down with pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo at a pivotal moment—just hours after the release of her highly anticipated second album, GUTS. The conversation dives into Olivia's songwriting process, her meteoric rise from Disney actress to chart-topping musician, the pressures and privileges of fame, the evolution of her artistry, and her sharp instincts in business and creative control. Olivia openly discusses vulnerability in her lyrics, her connection with fans, and the empowering choices she's made as a young artist in the music industry.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Post-Release Reflections and Performing for Fans

• [03:46] Olivia describes feeling surprisingly calm and grateful the morning after GUTS drops, despite a wave of pre-release anxiety:
  • “I was in fits of anxiety, but today I’m like, wow, what a nice life that I get to live. I’m just so stoked to be here.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 03:46)
• Performing live has deepened her artistry and influenced the new album’s sound:
  • “I hadn’t really played a show when I put out Sour. … After going on tour, I was really inspired by the way that a crowd sort of ingests music.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 06:11)
• She notes the surreal experience of fans instantly connecting with her new music:
  • “Put out a song, what, nine hours ago, and people knew all the lyrics. … They work so fast!” (Olivia Rodrigo, 11:50)

2. Songwriting: From Raw Diary to Universal Connection

• Olivia writes with a diaristic, deeply personal approach, only worrying later how it will be received:
  • “I write all my songs just from a place of wanting to get something off of my chest … and then it’s not until like, a week or so before I put it out where I’m like, huh, what are people gonna think about me talking about this weird stuff?” (Olivia Rodrigo, 04:08)
• She believes the best songs “come through you, not from you,” describing songwriting as “a magical thing.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 08:22)
• On not explaining her songs’ literal subjects:
  • “Explanation is never good for art. … Why would I pigeonhole a song into being about this one thing in my life when everyone has their own interpretation?” (Olivia Rodrigo, 10:24)
• Connecting with fans who relate:
  • “It just makes me feel less alone in my feelings. … We're all so much more alike than we are different.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 10:58)

3. The Evolution from Sour to GUTS

• GUTS is less about heartbreak, more about growing pains and the pressures of young adulthood:
  • “This time around, I was just more thinking about the pressures of young adulthood and … the growing pains that come along with just turning 20.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 05:30)
• She embraces a more playful, “edgy” sound, fueled by rock influences and new-found confidence:
  • “I’ve kind of found this new confidence that maybe I didn’t have before to just do whatever I want … not be confined to some, you know, pop box.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 06:50)

4. Navigating Sudden Fame and Staying Grounded

• Olivia candidly recalls the whirlwind of "Driver’s License" exploding during COVID lockdowns while she was still in high school:
  • “I didn’t quite realize how much it would change my life. ... It wasn’t until recently ... I had the space and time to take a step back and be like, whoa, that was insane.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 17:31)
• On managing expectations and pressure the second time around:
  • “Your only competition is yourself … oh God, if my only competition is myself, I don’t know how I’m gonna beat this. ... I just tried to make songs that I would like to hear on the radio.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 19:08)

5. Song Themes & Emotional Honesty

• “Vampire” explores both fame and universal feelings of manipulation and regret:
  • “At the core of that song is really about being manipulated and regretting the decisions that you made in any relationship.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 09:42)
• She describes her body of work as "spilling my guts," emphasizing courage and intuition:
  • “It means courage. It means trusting your gut, means having, you know, following your intuition. ... Spilling your guts, too.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 28:20)

6. Early Influences, Family, and Creative Roots

• Developed songwriting early, inspired by family’s musical openness and artists like No Doubt, Alanis Morissette, and Joni Mitchell:
  • “I started learning chords and really taking songwriting seriously [at] 12 or 13 ... and it’s just been such a joy.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 14:21)
• Praises her parents for being supportive but not pushy:
  • “My parents are so not stage parents at all. They are just so chill. ... They never applied any pressure. ... I just owe everything to them.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 15:50)

7. Role Model and “Voice of a Generation”

• Olivia feels a special kinship with young women and girls, embracing the responsibility:
  • “I definitely feel a real kinship towards women and girls ... I’m very interested in writing about the feminine.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 21:24)
• On being called “the voice of your generation”:
  • “No. Oh my gosh. … All I can do is be myself, I think, and write songs that I like. … I can’t really think about it too much. It’s so overwhelming.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 22:20)

8. Ownership, Creative Control, and Business Smarts

• Olivia insists on owning her masters and creative control, finding it “freeing” and critical to her career:
  • “It’s just so freeing to be able to say whatever you want, express how you feel however you want, and be in control of your life and career.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 25:06)
• She credits trusted advisers for helping her make such strategic decisions early on.

9. Legacy, Heroes, and What’s Next

• Reacts humbly to praise from legends like Carole King:
  • “I can’t wrap my head around the Carole King one. ... She was one of the first. Tapestry was one of the first vinyl records that I ever owned.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 26:17)
• Desires a career like Gwen Stefani’s—adventurous, genre-defying, risk-taking—yet remains grounded:
  • “But who’s to say? I don’t know. I don’t know where I’m going to be tomorrow, let alone in five years.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 27:06)

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Memorable Quotes

• On creative vulnerability:
  “I try not to censor myself too much ... just because I think that is kind of the antithesis of creativity.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 28:58)
• On the purpose of her music:
  “It just makes me realize that, you know, we're all so much more alike than we are different. And no one's ever alone in their feelings.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 10:58)
• On pressure and expectation:
  “If my only competition is myself, I don’t know how I’m gonna beat this.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 19:08)
• On the value of supporting parents:
  “They never applied any pressure. ... I just owe everything to them. They’re really wonderful.” (Olivia Rodrigo, 15:50)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:46] Olivia’s emotional state after GUTS release
• [05:30] The shift from heartbreak to young adulthood on GUTS
• [06:11] How live shows changed her songwriting
• [08:22] Describing the “magic” of songwriting
• [09:42] Universal themes in “Vampire”
• [15:50] The role of parents and family support
• [17:31] “Driver’s License” and processing sudden fame
• [19:08] Wrestling with pressure and self-expectation
• [21:24] Songwriting for young women and girls
• [22:20] Reaction to “Voice of a Generation” title
• [25:06] On owning her music and creative autonomy
• [26:17] Praise and inspiration from Carole King
• [28:20] The meaning behind “GUTS”

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode is warm, thoughtful, and candid, marked by Olivia’s humility, wisdom, and humor, and Willie’s relaxed, respectful curiosity. Olivia Rodrigo comes across as both a highly intentional artist and an authentic, self-aware young woman, fiercely committed to her voice and values. Her journey offers inspiration—not just for fans and fellow musicians, but for anyone forging their own path while striving to remain true to themselves.

Transcript

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

When work gets crazy, I like to stop by the bar after have a few cold ones.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I don't drink at all until 4 o'.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Clock.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

We limit ourselves to one bottle of wine a night.

[Public Health Announcer]

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[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Boy oh boy, do I have a big one for you this week. One of the biggest stars in all of music and and the woman of the moment in music, Olivia Rodrigo. She's out with a new album called Guts and of course is the follow up to the 2021 smash that introduced her to the world called Sour with hits like Driver's License.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Good for you, Deja Vu.

[Willie Geist]

Her new album just out and man, it's already doing big business. Her first single called Vampire went to number one. You remember we when she blew up in January of 2021 with the album Sour and that single Driver's License. She had done Disney tv. She was known in that world, but not known the way she would be basically overnight when Driver's License came out. Remember during the pandemic, January 2021. Think back to that time. She's home in California. She's a senior in high school. She's 17 years old in her parents house. This single goes out and and people suddenly love her.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

They know her, they know her face.

[Willie Geist]

They know her name. And so she was going through all this without being able to go out and promote it or going out and performing any of it. She was just at home watching her life change. It's kind of an extraordinary story. And her new album, her fans already love it So I should tell you that our interview took place just minutes after she stepped off the stage doing the Friday concert series on the Today show. So she draws a huge crowd to Rockefeller center outside f and their moms and everybody else sleeping out on the street overnight for a couple of days just to get a glimpse of her and to hear. So she does the show, delights the fans, then comes off a few minutes later, sits down with me, and all I can say is she is an absolute delight. I'd never met her before. She is everything she appears to be. She's charming, she's funny, she's personable. She's incredibly polite, for what that's worth. I mean, said hello to everybody in the room. Very engaging. And still, I think a couple years into this, in a bit of shock.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

A bit of disbelief at the way.

[Willie Geist]

Her career has gone. So I hope you sit back, relax, enjoy getting to know a little bit better. Olivia Rodrigo, right now on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Thank you so much for doing this.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Thank you for having me.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I mean, I feel so lucky to catch you in this very moment. And by this moment, I mean, like, these last few hours. Your album just came out, like, nine hours ago. You just stepped off the To a huge crowd. How are you feeling today?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I am feeling surprisingly calm. I'm feeling really happy. I was telling you before, yesterday, I was in fits of anxiety, but today I'm like, wow, what a nice life that I get to live. I'm just so stoked to be here. So it's a good mindset.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And is the anxiety because I've heard other artists say this is. I just poured a lot of my stuff out, and now the public's gonna hear about all of it.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, it's a little of that. I mean, I'm a very diaristic songwriter, and I write all my songs just from a place of wanting to get something off of my chest and, you know, talk about how I feel. And then it's not until like, a week or so before I put it out where I'm like, huh, what are people gonna think about me? Like, talking about this weird stuff that goes on in my head. Like, I wonder what they're gonna say. So just processing that. But it's part of the job.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

It's a little too late at that point.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

It's a little too late.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Yeah. The train has left the station.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Totally.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Well, the reviews are amazing, and I'm gonna embarrass you a little bit. I hope you don't mind. I'm just Gonna read one from Rolling Stone this morning. Just one line.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

It's.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

It reads all over Guts. She's so witty, so pissed off, so angsty. At the same time, the way only a rock star can be. And this is the album of a truly brilliant rock star.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Wow.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Talking about you in Rolling Stone.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

How's that? That's amazing. Yeah, I mean, I love that. I've always loved rock music, and I think that I really leaned into that. Into the. I really leaned into that in this album more so than I did, probably, in my. My first album. And so, yeah, it's. It's really cool that people are. Are j.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

So Guts is, as you say, it's different than Sour for a variety of reasons. You're a couple years older, wiser. You've been through a lot in these last two years.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Sure.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

When you sat down to write the songs for Guts and to sort of compile this album, what did you want to say? What did you have to say this time around?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, I think that the first album was very much about heartbreak, and I love that that's what I needed to say at the time. I was very heartbroken, and I think this time around, I was just more thinking about the pressures of young adulthood and, you know, sort of the growing pains that come along with just turning 20. I wrote the album when I was 19 and 20, and I think it also just takes itself a lot less seriously, which I really enjoy. It's very playful and fun, and I just wanted to make songs that would be really cool to sing at a concert and jump around, too. So I feel like that's what we tried to do.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

You think about that as the live performance element, too, when you're writing a song?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, I mean, we were talking about this too often off air. Like, I hadn't played a show when I put out Sour. I didn't. Hadn't gone on a tour. My second performance was SNL in this building. It was just quite crazy. And so I didn't really have that live performing skill under my belt. And after going on tour, I was really inspired by the way that a crowd sort of ingests music. And so I think I wrote that, this album with that in mind.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Is it fair to say this album has a little more of an edge than Sour? Did I feel a lot of that punk rock that you listened to growing up, and some of your inspiration in this album is that, right?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I think so. I've always loved rock music, and I think I've kind of found this new confidence that Maybe I didn't have before to just do whatever I want and, you know, not be confined to some, you know, pop box, I guess.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

So you've said that the last couple of years. You've grown up by a decade, much more than the two years or so. What do you mean when you say that? And obviously your life was turned upside down a couple of years ago when you became this global sensation. How much are you different today than you were when you were writing those songs for Sour?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Oh my gosh. I'm a completely different person. I mean, I wrote all those songs for Sour when I was 17 and I'm 20 now and obviously my life has changed drastically. You know, my career and my environment, everything's so different. But I just think all of that pales in comparison to how much you change as an individual. From the ages of 17 to 20, I feel like I learned so much about myself and who I wanted to be and the people that I wanted to surround myself with. And you sort of just. Yeah, I have sort of this new confidence that I didn't have before.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

You have such a maturity in your songs about things like heartbreak and relationships. Even on Sour. And as you say you were 16, 17 years old, writing these sort of sophisticated songs that I don't think I have a 16 year old daughter. I'm not sure most teenagers have thought through in that way or can articulate in the way that you have. Where does that, I guess, emotional maturity come from? How do you think so deeply and express it so well at your age?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Thanks. I mean, I've been writing songs since I could talk. I've always been doing it. So I've written so many songs in my life, written so many bad songs, got a lot of practice, but I don't know, it's this weird thing and it sounds kind of like woo, woo. But I really believe that really good songs kind of don't come from you, they kind of come through you. You know, it's kind of like something else. It's like a magical thing. And sometimes you write a song and you're like, wow, I don't even know how that came to be. It's just kind of this beautiful flow. So I credit a lot of my songs to that sort of magic.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Well, just so you know, most mortals don't have number one hits flowing through their bodies when they sit down at a piano. But I think Vampire was that a little bit too, wasn't it? Where you sat down at a piano and it just sort of happened.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, yeah, I Was getting ice cream with my friends, and I was really upset about this thing that I wrote Vampire about. And I said this burning desire to sit down at the piano. And I remember sitting down at the piano and the chords just came, and I was like, oh, Vampire. I don't know, just popped into my head. I, you know, hadn't really ever thought about writing a song like that. And, yeah, it just kind of came really naturally.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I respect that you don't talk about who your songs are about. I do.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Thanks.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

But what theme is that song about? What, did you want to get out with Vampire?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah. I mean, I was a little worried at first putting that song out, because it is. It does kind of touch on this new fame element of my life, which I think, you know, it's really tricky to write songs about that. It can very quickly become unrelatable. But I think at the core of that song is really about being manipulated and regretting the decisions that you made in any relationship. And so I think if you boil it down, that's really what it is.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

So why is it so important to you? Because this is true of all your songs. To not talk publicly about who or what exactly it's about. Is that just so that they can remain more universal and not specifically to your life, but something everyone can relate to Totally.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I think explanation is never good for art. You know, there are so many songs that I listen to at a young age where I'm like, wow, this songwriter wrote it just for me in my situation, and obviously they didn't. But why would I, like, pigeonhole a song into being about this one thing in my life when everyone has their own interpretation? It's the beauty of music and the.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Connection that you feel. You probably just felt it an hour ago out there on the plaza where you put out this song, you know, not so long ago, and you look into the eyes of a young girl who has tears in her eyes and is singing every word of the song. I would imagine that's sort of what it's all about.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, it's incredibly powerful. I mean, you're right. I did experience some of that out there. And going on tour, I experience that every night. It's. It's just really, really insane. I think it just makes me feel less alone in my feelings. You know, when I write the song about some specific instance that, you know, where I felt this really strong way, and then I look out into the crowd and I see some girl who felt the exact same way, it just makes me realize that, you know, we're all so much more alike than we are different. And no one's ever alone in their feelings.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Is it still a trip to you to have that feeling? Which is to say when you go out on tour or you do a show like you did this morning, to go out on a stage, a song you wrote, maybe with one other person in the privacy of a little room, and you feel like maybe someone will connect with this to hear an entire arena or an entire stadium singing those words back to you.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, I think it's a feeling that you never really get used to. Even out there. An hour ago, put out a song, what, nine hours ago, and people knew all the lyrics. I was like, oh my gosh, they work so fast. It's amazing. Yeah, it is really surreal. I mean, I think songs are one of the most powerful mediums there are. You know, you can write a song in 20 minutes and, you know, a huge crowd of 5,000 people could sing every word. You know, it's really powerful. There's a lot of responsibility in that, I think.

[Willie Geist]

Hey guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Olivia Rodrigo Right after the break, Peacemaker is.

[James Gunn]

Back on Peacemaker, the official podcast with James Gunn. Hear exclusive season two insights and break down every new episode after it airs on HBO Max. James Gunn and co hosts Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee share outrageous behind the scenes stories, answer fan questions and more. You'll also hear from special guests like Peacemaker himself on his favorite moments throughout the season. Listen or watch Peacemaker, the official podcast with James Gunn on HBO Max, the HBO Max and DC YouTube channels, or wherever you get your podcasts. Stream Peacemaker on HBO Max.

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[Willie Geist]

Welcome back. Now more of my conversation with Olivia Rodrigo.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I mentioned some of your influences as a kid, which you were a very cool 12 year old, you know, listening to no Doubt and Alanis Morissette and the White Stripes and then throw in some Billy Joel and some Joni Mitchell. When did the music bug start for you? I know you took voice lessons when you were in kindergarten, so it was pretty early. But at what point did you say, not only do I love listening to this music, but I want to give it a shot myself?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I don't know exactly when. I think I was probably 12 or 13 when I started really playing stuff on the piano. I started learning chords and really taking songwriting seriously. And yeah, it's just been such a, such a joy since then. I feel like I learn so much about songwriting every day. Even now. I just feel like there's so much that I don't know and so much that I'm curious about. So it's a lifelong journey.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Do you remember those first songs when you were 12?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah. It's so funny. I listen back to, I still have them on my phone and I'm like, gosh, I was so angry. I had such a perspective. I'd write all these like, feminist songs about like all these like, people that wronged me or like all these issues that I had. And I'm like, you're in sixth grade. Like, what? What's going on? I don't know.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

So where does that come from? Because that speaks to what I was asking you earlier. There's some, there's some wisdom that's, you know, most people your age don't have, certainly 12 year olds don't have, or some feeling or able to express yourself in that way. What do you think is at the root of that?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Gosh, I couldn't tell you. I don't know. I just love it so much. It's more of a feelings thing for me. And my parents are super into music and they definitely influenced me and definitely influenced my taste so much. But I couldn't tell you. I've just always loved it. I don't know.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

We were talking a minute ago about parents. I was telling you about my kids and you said yours gave you the space to be who you wanted to be, do the things that you wanted to do. What has this ride of the last two and a half, three years been like for them?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

My parents are the least like. My parents are so not stage parents at all. They don't have like a stage parent bone in their bodies. They are just so chill. Ever since I was young, I started out acting. I was on a few Disney shows from the time I was like 12 to 18 or 19. And I was so driven. And they were always like, if you don't want to do this, we'd be happy not to drive you. Auditions every week. And they never applied any pressure. And I've just been so wonderful and supportive and I just owe everything to them. They're really wonderful.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And what do they think right now when they're watching you on the Today show?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

My mom's here, actually. She watched it and she said that was the best concert of the year. Olivia. Thanks, mom.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And maybe the secret to the success is them not putting that pressure on you, right?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Totally. Yeah.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Do what you want to do.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

I think it made me more self motivated, you know, I think sometimes when your parents tell you to do something, you never want to do it. When you're 16, you're like, let me do my own thing. But I was always very self motivated.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

They're smart. Your parents know what they're doing. I was thinking back to January of 2021 when driver's license came out. And the way you tell it, it's just we take it for granted now because it was such a big song that it was meant to be that way. But you were. It was Covid, right? You're home, you put out this song, you're at your parents house, you're still a senior in high school, and then you wake up one morning and everybody knows your name and everyone's singing that song. With two and a half years of perspective on that now, how do you describe what that was like?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

It's really interesting. I feel like at the time I didn't quite realize how much it would change my life. And in the moment I was just so full of adrenaline. I'm like, okay, let's get the next song out. Let's do the album. And it wasn't until recently where I really had the space and time to take a step back and be like, whoa, that was insane. That was, you know, such a huge moment for me. Something that I'll remember when I'm 85. And I love that song so much. Just for me. I wrote that song and loved it because it just so acutely expressed what I was going through at the time. And the fact that it resonated in the way that it did is just so meaningful. I owe so much to that song and it opened so many doors for me. So just full of so much gratitude.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

For it as it's setting streaming records and going to number one and SNL is doing an entire sketch on it and you're watching this happen to your song and to your life? What's going through your mind? What are you thinking? How are you handling that?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Honestly, a healthy level of dissociation goes a long way, I think. And I was 17 or 18. You know, you just can't really read into all of that too much. You kind of have to put your horse blinders on and focus on what you can control because so much of it is just beyond anything you could really fathom or control, you know?

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And then you proved that it wasn't just about that song. I mean, you put another one a hit, another one a hit, and it became the biggest album of the year again. Rolling Stone called it the best album of the year. So as you were sitting down now to write Guts, did you feel like, okay, this better be good? A lot of people are waiting to see. She did it once, can she do it again? Is she gonna keep the same sound? Is she gonna change it?

[Willie Geist]

Did you feel all that when you.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Were putting this album together?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

So much pressure. You know, everyone always says, like, your only competition is yourself. And I was like, oh, God, if my only competition is myself, I don't know how I'm gonna beat this. Like, that was just such crazy success that I could have never expected or prepared myself for. And so I definitely, I mean, I won't lie, I had a really tricky time setting out to make guts. But I think kind of halfway through the writing process, I sort of shifted my mindset into not trying to beat something or make a song that would go number one. And I just tried to make songs that I would like to hear on the radio. And that's when kind of the real good stuff started happening. I had a lot more fun and the songs really improved. So, yeah, I think at the end of the day, you just have to focus on doing what you love and making songs that you enjoy. That's all you can do.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

As you sit here and just talking to you and hearing from other people, you have clearly have a really good head on your shoulders. You had a great family. You've sort of somehow kept yourself centered through this insane ride. What has the fame side been like for you? That thing that I mentioned where everybody knows your name, everybody knows your face. Has life gotten more difficult in some ways or are you enjoying it?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, I mean, it's always a double edged sword. It's sure life has gotten difficult in some ways, but easier in others. And I'm just really happy to be where I am and, you know, have all of these opportunities. Yeah, it's a really interesting thing. I think that I also sort of got a soft introduction to it because of my childhood, you know, acting and sort of being in that world without being, you know, I wasn't super front facing, but I was introduced to it at a young age. And so I think I luckily got some time to sort of warm up to the idea before Driver's License came out. And obviously that song was, you know, a really huge thing for me, but I think at that point, I think I was maybe a little more prepared.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Do you feel you have so many fans and particularly so many young women and girls who look up to you and love you? Do you feel that responsibility with your music, but also the way you carry yourself and your activism and the causes you choose to support? Does that all play in that you want to sort of carry your fans along with you on this ride?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah, I definitely feel a real kinship towards women and girls, and I feel like my songs are very feminine in the way that I write them. I hope everyone can relate to, you know, some parts of them, but I'm very interested in writing about the feminine and stuff like that. And, yeah, just to, you know, go play a show and see a bunch of girls in the front row, like, being really angry or crying or, you know, expressing all these emotions that are sometimes not societally, you know, widely accepted is a really beautiful, powerful thing and makes me feel really lucky that I do what I do well.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

On that note, people have called you the voice of your generation. They've said that you've sort of captured what it means to be your age or close to your age in this moment in time. Do you have any sense for what that means? Exactly?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

No. Oh, my gosh. So crazy. It's such a. Wow. That's a. That's a really big title because you're.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Just telling your own story, but it just so happens to reflect what a lot of people are going through.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

All I can do is be myself, I think, and write songs that I like. And I think the fact that people gravitate towards them is amazing and that, you know, I can't really think about it too much. It's so overwhelming. I like. I don't know.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

You're just enjoying this day. You want to think about being the voice of the generation, at least for now.

[Willie Geist]

Stick around for more of my conversation with Olivia Rodrigo right after a quick break.

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[Scott Aukerman]

This is comedy Bang Bang the Podcast the promo and in 30 seconds I'm going to tell you why you should check out the show. I, the host Scott Aukerman, have a lighthearted conversation with famous celebrities like Jon Hamm, Alison Williams, Phoebe Bridgers, Jason Alexander, Natasha Lyonne, Bob Odenkirk, just to name a few things. Go a little off the rails when different eccentric characters and oddballs drop by to be interviewed as well. Each week is a blend of conversations and character work from your favorite comedians as well as some new hilarious voices. Comedy Bang Bang the Podcast Listen every Monday wherever you get your podcasts.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

The future of Downton Abbey is now in Mary's hands.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

It's the grand finale we've been waiting for. See it on the biggest screen possible.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

It will be a sensation with scandalous.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

Twists and shocking revelations.

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Should wives have secrets from their husbands?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Definitely, but not the other way around.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

The best is yet to come.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

So off we go for our next adventure.

[Public Health Announcer]

I like the sound of that.

[Narrator/Commercial Voice]

Downton Abbey, the grand finale. Gritty PG. Parental guidance suggested only in theater September 12th. Get tickets now.

[Willie Geist]

Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Olivia Rodrigo.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Another thing you've proven over the years is that you're a smart businesswoman. Going back a few years, you took control of your masters on that deal. How at that point, this was before Sauer. This is before you became a huge star. How did you have the instinct to do that? How did you negotiate that? Because it has paid off in a way that other artists have struggled with.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Sure. I think that I've been really lucky to be surrounded by people who really look after me and take care of me in a very real, genuine way. That's something that I really have never taken for granted. It's super instrumental, I feel like, in my career and I don't know, I've just really always wanted to have total creative control over everything that I do. Like the money part and all of that is great and fun, but it's just so freeing to be able to say whatever you want, express how you feel however you want, and be in control of your life and career. That's something that's just so meaningful to me. And I feel really happy that I'm in a position where I can have that.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

It's gotta be a trip, too. I'm reading like Carole King. I know people you looked up to when you were young, and I'm sure your parents look up to also. She's coming out and saying, this young woman, Olivia, is special. She's different. And to hear arguably the greatest songwriter alive right now say something like that, it's not just your contemporaries. It's the greats who are, like, looking at you and saying, she's the one.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

What does that feel like?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Oh, wow. I can't wrap my head around the Carole King one. That was pretty spectacular to see. I've met her a few times. Times, too, and she's just the loveliest. I saw her, she came by and she played, like, so far away or something on the piano for me, and I just, like, died and went to heaven. I'm like, oh, my gosh. It's amazing, but it's so surreal. I honestly can't really comprehend that. I grew up listening to Carol, and she was one of the first. Tapestry was one of the first vinyl records that I ever owned. It's just. It's a really crazy life. I just am pinching myself all the time.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Do you think about career arc, or is it too soon? Do you say? Not necessarily what you're doing next. You're in this album right now. But I'd love to have the career of that artist.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah. I mean, I really love Gwen Stefani. I really love the way that she sort of straddled rock and pop in a really cool way. I think she's super adventurous and takes risks, so I really look up to her. But who's to say? I don't know. I don't know where I'm going to be tomorrow, let alone in five years.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Well, she likes you back, too, apparently.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Oh, yes.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

When you floated the idea of working together, she said, let's do it.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

That's cool.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I'm ready. Yeah.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

When things calm down, I'd love to do that.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

You're getting it back. So where do you go from here? You had this big day today. The album is out in the world. What are you looking forward to in the next few days and weeks?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah. Gonna have a little party with everyone who's been so generously working on the album with me and hang out with my producer, Dan, and some of my friends. So I'm looking forward to that tonight. That's gonna be fun.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

There's a party Yeah, I like the jewelry here. What do we got?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Thank you. I don't know if you can see. There it is. These are my guts rings. My producer collaborator, Dan, his wife actually makes jewelry, so she made these for me. And it's like my favorite. My favorite item of jewelry that I own.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And guts means what to you in the context of this album?

[Olivia Rodrigo]

It means a few things. It means courage. It means trusting your gut, means having, you know, following your intuition. It means I like spilling your guts, too.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I feel like there's some of that on this album.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah. I feel like every song I've ever written is sort of just me spilling my guts a little bit. I just think the word is cool. I love four letter words.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

I can tell.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Do you ever, when you're sitting down spilling your guts in front of a piano, do you ever have any hesitation of, like, ooh, maybe I shouldn't go this far. Maybe I shouldn't tell this one. It doesn't feel like it. Yeah.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

In the moment, when I'm writing a song, I try not to censor myself too much or think about, you know, what people on the Internet are gonna say about it, just because I think that is kind of the antithesis of creativity. But it's, you know, after. After the fact, then it's kind of when you have to be, like, strategic, I suppose. I don't know.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

But it's out there now, so it's out there. Let it ride. Well, it's such a pleasure to share even a small part of this day with you. Congratulations on the album.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Thank you.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

And it's great to talk to you.

[Olivia Rodrigo]

Oh, you as well. Thank you for all the thoughtful questions.

[Interviewer/Podcast Host]

Thanks, Olivia.

[Willie Geist]

My big thanks again to Olivia for a great conversation. You can check out her latest album, guts, wherever you get your music. And my thanks to all of you for tuning in again this week. If you want to hear more of my conversations with our guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week on the Sunday Sit down podcast.

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