Loved this. Last night, in anticipation of her album release, I listened to Olivia's interview with Kathleen Hanna (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnAf83vYtiw) and have been thinking a lot about the importance of, for lack of a better word, legacy. The legendary female rock musicians are in many ways most acclaimed and remembered for their earlier work, but there is so much explored in a discography from a woman who continues to live, think, and make art as she gets older. What does it look like for righteous rage to develop beyond the nest of teen angst? I know it is sacrilegious to many to imply this given that Olivia is an industry-backed mainstream star, but I do think that she plays a really special part in keeping the spirit of riotgrrrl alive. She knows that being liked by ten-year-old girls is more punk than being liked by some pedantic music nerd who rolls his eyes when I mention riotgrrrl (though he too probably also likes Olivia's music lol).
In the interview they talk about how, simply put, women making rock music are really special and cool and important. On that note I wanted to mention that your music is very special to me in this vein; "Modern Woman," "Like the Boys," "Mythologize Me," and "Glitter" sit alongside Rodrigo's "all american bitch" in the tier of best feminist songs of the 2020s. Seeing them performed live in Toronto was really special, thank you :)
I am constantly in awe of Olivia's openness and sincerity in interviews (and in her songwriting!), and I think that's unfortunately what so many people (read: haters) find troubling about her. In that Popcast interview, they talked about how she's so forthcoming about her inspiration that it leads to people calling her out for straight-up stealing from artists and her retroactively issuing songwriting credits, which I find sad. Reminds me of early reactions to Taylor's "surprised face," and similar expressions of her earnestness. I think Olivia's such a sharp artist; this album has endeared her to me even more.
reading this after fully digesting the album alone in bed….im so in love with olivia & all she’s doing…for art like this being made to being popular is an incredible bright spot in a recently very dim culture
related, it makes a lot of sense that someone like olivia, in her ethnically-ambiguous uncontested beauty, is poised to charge material change in pop culture. she is not "all women" because women are white and blonde, like you've pointed out, and subject to the type of denigration that comes with tearing down the elite -- the mean white blonde girl who is also annoying but somehow popular. it's rooted in our childhoods and pop culture and feeds each other. olivia feels like an appropriate underdog that is palatable enough to root for, because she is so beautiful and earnest and frankly, cooler, than taylor
Omg!! My 15 year old daughter is die hard Rodrigo fan. When she played Olivia’s latest album for me, I, too, told her it reminded me of a woman whose music I used to listen to, but hadn’t listened to in years and years. That woman was Liz Phair! I have been on a Liz fair binge for the last two weeks, and even sang divorce song for a karaoke this week. And, I had a man of all people come up to me and say how much he loves that song and loves Liz Phair!
Thanks so much for writing this piece – I love everything you say! I couldn’t agree more about Taylor Swift… Her jumping up and down and screaming with her girlfriends on the sideline of the Knicks game brought me to tears. I was so happy that her femininity and girl power was on full display in a way that I never could have done without severe criticism when I was a young woman. 💕
Great distillation of thoughts on the matter of teen idol pitfalls. O Rodrigo is like a riot girl of pop. Wondering if a collaboration with Sleater-Kinney would break things.
This unlocked a memory. A girl band I knew in the mid-2000s once told me that most of the music industry men who showed an interest in them wanted, in her words, to "fix us or fuck us." Twenty years on it's still the most honest summary of that world I've heard, and your piece is the first thing that's explained to me why those were the only two roles on offer.
A few weeks ago I was with my dad and his friends at a gay bar playing 80s synth pop and his (straight) man friend (late 50s?) yelled at me 'This isn't Taylor Swift!' , after being ignored, again, 'This isn't Taylor Swift! How are you dancing to this! This isn't Taylor Swift!' I don't think men understand how unbearably cringe, whiny, attention seeking they look when they do this stuff.
Taylor’s version of the machete in the jungle speech: “She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the path from me, I’ll say I’m happy then I’ll cry myself to sleep.”
Loved this. Last night, in anticipation of her album release, I listened to Olivia's interview with Kathleen Hanna (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnAf83vYtiw) and have been thinking a lot about the importance of, for lack of a better word, legacy. The legendary female rock musicians are in many ways most acclaimed and remembered for their earlier work, but there is so much explored in a discography from a woman who continues to live, think, and make art as she gets older. What does it look like for righteous rage to develop beyond the nest of teen angst? I know it is sacrilegious to many to imply this given that Olivia is an industry-backed mainstream star, but I do think that she plays a really special part in keeping the spirit of riotgrrrl alive. She knows that being liked by ten-year-old girls is more punk than being liked by some pedantic music nerd who rolls his eyes when I mention riotgrrrl (though he too probably also likes Olivia's music lol).
In the interview they talk about how, simply put, women making rock music are really special and cool and important. On that note I wanted to mention that your music is very special to me in this vein; "Modern Woman," "Like the Boys," "Mythologize Me," and "Glitter" sit alongside Rodrigo's "all american bitch" in the tier of best feminist songs of the 2020s. Seeing them performed live in Toronto was really special, thank you :)
I am constantly in awe of Olivia's openness and sincerity in interviews (and in her songwriting!), and I think that's unfortunately what so many people (read: haters) find troubling about her. In that Popcast interview, they talked about how she's so forthcoming about her inspiration that it leads to people calling her out for straight-up stealing from artists and her retroactively issuing songwriting credits, which I find sad. Reminds me of early reactions to Taylor's "surprised face," and similar expressions of her earnestness. I think Olivia's such a sharp artist; this album has endeared her to me even more.
Eliza this is so good! Thank you for putting all this into words. I’m gonna print this out and put it on my wall
reading this after fully digesting the album alone in bed….im so in love with olivia & all she’s doing…for art like this being made to being popular is an incredible bright spot in a recently very dim culture
Unrelated to the thesis but as an absolute hater I do appreciate the subtle dragging of Pitchfork lmao
related, it makes a lot of sense that someone like olivia, in her ethnically-ambiguous uncontested beauty, is poised to charge material change in pop culture. she is not "all women" because women are white and blonde, like you've pointed out, and subject to the type of denigration that comes with tearing down the elite -- the mean white blonde girl who is also annoying but somehow popular. it's rooted in our childhoods and pop culture and feeds each other. olivia feels like an appropriate underdog that is palatable enough to root for, because she is so beautiful and earnest and frankly, cooler, than taylor
Omg!! My 15 year old daughter is die hard Rodrigo fan. When she played Olivia’s latest album for me, I, too, told her it reminded me of a woman whose music I used to listen to, but hadn’t listened to in years and years. That woman was Liz Phair! I have been on a Liz fair binge for the last two weeks, and even sang divorce song for a karaoke this week. And, I had a man of all people come up to me and say how much he loves that song and loves Liz Phair!
Thanks so much for writing this piece – I love everything you say! I couldn’t agree more about Taylor Swift… Her jumping up and down and screaming with her girlfriends on the sideline of the Knicks game brought me to tears. I was so happy that her femininity and girl power was on full display in a way that I never could have done without severe criticism when I was a young woman. 💕
Great distillation of thoughts on the matter of teen idol pitfalls. O Rodrigo is like a riot girl of pop. Wondering if a collaboration with Sleater-Kinney would break things.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
hitting a like for the genuinely well thought out critique, yes. But also largely for the Sing Street reference
I love her so bad !!!!
This unlocked a memory. A girl band I knew in the mid-2000s once told me that most of the music industry men who showed an interest in them wanted, in her words, to "fix us or fuck us." Twenty years on it's still the most honest summary of that world I've heard, and your piece is the first thing that's explained to me why those were the only two roles on offer.
This was truly excellent, like letters & soda.
A few weeks ago I was with my dad and his friends at a gay bar playing 80s synth pop and his (straight) man friend (late 50s?) yelled at me 'This isn't Taylor Swift!' , after being ignored, again, 'This isn't Taylor Swift! How are you dancing to this! This isn't Taylor Swift!' I don't think men understand how unbearably cringe, whiny, attention seeking they look when they do this stuff.
Taylor’s version of the machete in the jungle speech: “She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the path from me, I’ll say I’m happy then I’ll cry myself to sleep.”
beautiful
This piece was SO good already and then you decided to reference the loveliest movie ever, Sing Street!