Olivia Rodrigo makes Billboard Hot Rock & Alternative herstory
Olivia Rodrigo continues to make Billboard herstory ahead of the release of her upcoming sophomore album “Guts.” With her second single off the album titled “Bad Idea, Right?,” the Filipino-American singer has tied with Taylor Swift for the second most No. 1 hits in the history of Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart among women.
Rodrigo first clinched the top spot on the chart with “Brutal” from her debut album “Sour” two years ago. With two tracks under her belt reaching No. 1, the 20-year-old is hot on the heels of Billie Eilish who only recently broke her own tie with Swift with the hit single “What Was I Made For?” from the “Barbie” soundtrack.
To be sharing this title with one of the biggest inspirations for “Sour” must feel like quite a feat. Rodrigo gave Swift writing credits on both “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” and “Deja Vu” off the album.
More rock hits to come from Olivia Rodrigo
But Rodrigo might have a few more rock hits up her sleeve, possibly enough to get her higher up the ranking. She has talked about taking an edgier direction with “Brutal,” which was recorded live and with a full band.
“[I] always loved rock music, and always wanted to find a way that I could make it feel like me, and make it feel feminine and still telling a story and having something to say that’s vulnerable and intimate,” Rodrigo told Billboard, noting how she looks up to women rock stars who aren’t “trying to recreate a version of rock music that guys make.”
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Already, Rodrigo has been racking up nominations for “Guts.” Earlier in August, she bagged five nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards for the music video for lead single “Vampire.”
She’s been steadily collecting many firsts for the Fil-Am community, such as becoming the first Fil-Am star on the cover of American Vogue last July.
What other ceilings will she be breaking? Guess we’ll have to wait when “Guts” drops on Sept. 8.
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