Olivia Rodrigo’s Good Ideas

Switched on Pop

Vox Media Podcast Network

Music Interviews, Music History, Music, Music Commentary

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2023

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Everyone seems to be getting Olivia Rodrigo wrong. She's one of the few pop stars who has made it big in the current era of fragmented music streaming, but so much of the narrative has been about whose songs she's stealing from, whether it be Taylor Swift, Elvis Costello or Paramore. Rodrigo's new album Guts arrives next Friday: while we wait patiently, we take a close listen to her new singles "vampire" and "bad idea right?" to subvert the narrative. These songs show that she isn't stealing from pop music, but rather uses a deep repertoire of musical predecessors to write very crafty music. Songs discussed: Olivia Rodrigo – vampire Olivia Rodrigo – bad idea right? Olivia Rodrigo – driver's license Olivia Rodrigo – brutal Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Pump It Up Olivia Rodrigo – good 4 u Paramore – Misery Business Olivia Rodrigo – deja vu Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer Radiohead – Creep Scala & Kolacny Brothers – Creep Lana del Rey – Get Free David Bowie – Space Oddity Elvis Presley – That's When Your Heartaches Begin Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman Talking Heads – And She Was The Breeders – Cannonball Liz Phair – Supernova Wet Leg – Chaise Longue The Beatles – Twist And Shout Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	An epic matchup between your two favorite teams and you're at the game getting the most from what it means to be here with American Express.
0:07.0	You breeze through the card member entrance, stop by the lounge, now it's almost tip off and everyone's already on their feet.
0:16.0	This is going to be good.
0:19.0	See how to elevate your life sports experience at AmericanExpress.com slash with AMX.
0:24.0	Don't live life without it.
0:26.0	The eligible American Express card required benefits vary by card and by venue terms apply.
0:43.0	Welcome to Switched on Pop. I'm a songwriter Charlie Harding.
0:45.0	I'm musicologist Nate Sloan.
0:47.0	Nate, I've had at least two big missed opportunities that I've really regretted not interviewing someone before they broke out into being a major pop star.
0:55.0	Oh, okay. I'm very curious who are these people.
0:58.0	I'm just going to tell you one of them today. It's the former Disney high school, the musical, the musical, the series actor turned mega pop star.
1:06.0	Olivia Rodrigo, whose lead single off her last album, driver's license was sent to me in advance and I didn't click with it.
1:13.0	You're just like, delete, delete my future.
1:20.0	Listen, I'm sorry. I rushed to conclusions.
1:22.0	I thought this is a ballad. Ballads aren't big right now. I just thought it wasn't going to hit.
1:27.0	I hardly even paid attention to it and obviously I was wrong. I forgive you.
1:32.0	I honestly haven't forgiven myself yet. Her 2021 album, Sour, was one of the biggest albums of the year.
1:37.0	She had many singles over a billion plays. She is a sensation and I'm not the only one though.
1:44.0	A lot of people I think have gotten Olivia Rodrigo wrong.
1:48.0	A big part of her story has become this narrative about who she is taking inspiration from
1:54.0	with lots of accusations of intellectual theft for riffs from Elvis Costello.
2:05.0	To chords and stylings borrowed from Paramore when she was forced to give interpolation credits.
	...

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