Olivia Rodrigo, Guts World Tour: Reigning princess of pop lays her claim to the throne
Taylor Swift’s grossed more than $261 million. Beyoncé’s made $50m worldwide. The past year has turned concert films into huge cultural events – so it comes as little surprise that pop’s reigning princess, Olivia Rodrigo, has muscled in on the phenomenon.
Rodrigo has had a career trajectory other “new” pop stars could only dream of – the 21-year-old started her career on the Disney Channel but somehow managed to evade the House of Mouse’s sickly-sweet grip to release her 2021 debut single, Drivers License, with Geffen Records, once home to Nirvana, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. That song became a runaway hit that went viral on TikTok, shot to Number 1 around the globe and spawned a genuine hit album in Sour, Rodrigo’s terrific, angst-ridden debut. But, in a rare turn of events, the hype – sold-out tours, sweeping the Grammys – never died down.
So here we are, three years later, with Netflix’s starriest release of the week coming in the form of Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour concert film. Recorded in August at Rodrigo’s show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, the Guts movie is a larger-than-life spectacle, a celebration of a fearless, guitar-wielding pop star at the height of her powers.
All ages will find something to love in Rodrigo’s music: haunting ballads (Vampire, Teenage Dream), furious yell-along pop-rock anthems straight from the Avril Lavigne (or Hole) playbook (Bad Idea Right?, Good 4 U, Get Him Back). Star-of-the-moment Chappell Roan, who got her big break in the support slot for the US leg of this tour, makes an appearance for a duet of her raucous gay-spin on the YMCA, Hot to Go!
It’s excellent to see the film setlist includes So American and Obsessed — two tracks from the deluxe edition of Guts that, had they been included on the original, would have made it a five-star album (I gave it three, because for an artist of Rodrigo’s calibre it slightly missed the mark).
Director James Merryman, who was also behind Beyoncé’s Renaissance film, crafts a slick window to one of this generation’s most intriguing stars: you see Rodrigo’s thousands of fans (known as the “Livies”), rocking out in their uniform of satin bows, plaid dresses and fishnet tights; the close-up shots of her on stage, so confident and in control, make it seem even more unbelievable just how young she is. The only thing missing is intimate behind-the-scenes footage and one-on-one time with Rodrigo herself; like Swift’s offerings, this is very much a traditional concert film rather than a documentary.
Heavily rumoured to be headlining Glastonbury next year, Rodrigo’s ascent to the very peak of pop shows no sign of slowing down. What makes her so interesting is that she has managed to do so without going down the bubblegum-pop route favoured by Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter — at her core, she is a rock artist, as comfortable thrashing away on an electric guitar and yelling expletives as she is sat down at a piano, strumming out tender love songs.
It’s Brutal out here for most young stars — but this one? She‘s had no trouble clawing her way to the top.
On Netflix now