Olivia Rodrigo: The Next Princess of Pop

With both of her singles in the Billboard Top 10, Olivia Rodrigo is making sure that people know her name. With the initial success of her first single, “Driver’s License,” the standard had been set for her subsequent releases. Her second single, released April 1, “Déjà vu,” was another success, securing her spot in the pop world.

Her debut album, SOUR, comes out May 21, and features both the singles and nine other songs. With both of her singles charting on the Billboard Top 10 weeks after their release, one can only imagine that her other songs might meet the same fate.

Something that Rodrigo has been open about in her music career is her love of singer and songwriter Taylor Swift. This influence has been seen in both her singles. In “Driver’s License,” people online compared the bridge as a mix between Taylor Swift and Lorde. In “Déjà Vu,” the bridge of the song sounded similar to parts of Swift’s song “Cruel Summer,” from her album Lover.

I think the musical influence of Swift that Rodrigo mentions and demonstrates in her music will continue to make an appearance in her debut album. Whether this will be a more subtle nod to Swift’s new pop style, like in “Driver’s License,” or a more obvious ode like in “Deja Vu” is still up for question.

Even though Rodrigo has only released two songs, I think there will be a lot of success in her future. I think she will stand proudly next to strong pop female artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and others. She will be a role model for young girls that they can look up to and who is closer to their age.

Rodrigo shows that young girls do have a voice in the music industry, and their voice is a powerful one. She shows that they are talented and have the ability to create songs that top charts and break records. For what it’s worth, I’m excited for her album and all her future projects.