If you want to lose your voice, feel like your youngest self and experience girl power at its utmost peak, go to an Olivia Rodrigo concert.
The 21-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer and actress blew the roof off of Scotiabank Arena on Friday and Saturday for her “GUTS” world tour, which includes shows in North America and Europe. The tour is in support of her second studio album, GUTS.
Following her massively successful debut album, SOUR, the singer faced mounting pressures and high expectations to match or surpass the existing calibre for her sophomore album. But the singer did just that.
Not only did she make another hit album, she once again encapsulated the unavoidable feelings of teenage angst, coming-of-age and the crippling battle between missing your ex and wanting better for yourself. The former Disney actress has come a long way from her roles as Paige Olvera in Bizaardvark and Nini Salazar-Roberts in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
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GUTS is an ode to those who experienced betrayal, heartache and mistreatment in a relationship where one is deeply in love and thus, blindsided by blatant red flags.
Rodrigo’s concert was basically therapy for her fans, as they were able to sing out their feelings whilst being comforted by thousands of other people sharing the same deep-cut emotions. The concert began with opener, Chappell Roan, who sang her famous hits “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!,” among others.
Then, at exactly 8:30 p.m. (we love an artist who’s on time) the pop queen came out, kicking off the show with “bad idea right?”. Throughout the entire concert, fans can be seen screaming the lyrics of every hit song from “vampire,” “traitor,” “drivers license,” “deja vu,” to “brutal,” and more.
Even those who aren’t the biggest fans of Rodrigo wouldn’t be able to deny the infectious energy that emulated in the nearly two-hour concert. Only a handful of artists can take over a room in such an awe-inspiring way and Ms. Rodrigo possesses that power greatly.
The most impressive feat of all is that the singer did not have an overtly grand production set-up. Rodrigo simply had a seven-piece band, a group of female backup dancers, two platforms and at one point, a rising crescent moon. Additionally, she had a giant screen in the back that would showcase close-ups and nostalgic videos of the superstar.
Rodrigo proved she didn’t need a lavish stage production to give a worthy performance, her stunning vocals, soulful riffs and iconic dance moves were enough to put the audience in tears.
Each performance had character and represented the song’s storyline. For instance, for “teenage dream,” the singer played the piano while photos and videos of her childhood were projected on the screen behind her. The song itself is a message to Rodrigo’s 19-year-old self and the harsh realities of growing up.
For “pretty isn’t pretty,” Rodrigo’s diverse ensemble of dancers came together to synchronize with the singer, all while displaying the different versions of pretty, fitting for a song about dealing with the societal expectations of beauty.
Meanwhile, for “making the bed,” the singer was, of course, lying on a platform in the middle of the stage for dramatic effect. And during the performance of “logical” and “enough for you,” the star was sitting on a floating moon crescent as it hovered from one end of the arena to the other, providing a clear view to all fans from the front row to those sitting in the nosebleeds.
With each performance came numerous costume changes as well and knowing Rodrigo’s bold, grunge/pop punk fashion sense, she came out with fabulous outfits such as a silver-sequined set and a black bra with matching black short shorts with a bedazzled cover-up on top.
All the outfits were cleverly paired with a set of Doc Martens and fishnet stockings, reinforcing her as the princess of pop. Her fans also came prepared and ready for a Rodrigo show, as swarms of purple (her favourite colour), butterfly clips, sparkly short skirts, leather, cowboy hats, fishnets and baby tees were amongst the crowd.
Nearing the end of the concert, Rodrigo sang some of her most popular hits such as “brutal”, “all-american b*tch,” “good 4 u,” and “get him back.”
During “all-american b*tch”, the singer paused to tell fans, “I want you to think about something that really f**king pisses you off and when the lights go off, just scream at the top of your lungs.”
What followed was a sea of ground-breaking, high-pitched screams that only a die-hard Rodrigo fan could let out. If I learned one thing from this concert, it’s to never break an Olivia Rodrigo fan’s heart.
As Rodrigo sang “get him back,” for her final song, she made her way out the arena and showed her appreciation for fans along the way by accepting as many gifts as the five-foot-four star could hold. She gave high fives, hugs, and accepted cards, sunglasses, charm bracelets, and even a red “all-canadian b*tch” cowgirl hat which the singer absolutely adored.
From performing in Massey Hall back in 2022, to selling out two back-to-back shows at Scotiabank Arena, the trajectory of Rodrigo’s fame is truly amazing to witness and based on the blood-curdling screams of her fans, the singer is only going to grow bigger from here.
