From Viral TikToks to 3 Grammys: Olivia Rodrigo's Ascent Into Stardom
TL;DR Since going viral on TikTok in early 2021, Olivia Rodrigo’s singing career has reached extraordinary heights. To date, the artist has garnered billions of streams and now holds 3 Grammy accolades including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album.
In 2020, Olivia Rodrigo was not a household name. Prior to Sour, the album that brought her seven Grammy nominations, the height of her career was her leading role on Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Not a minor feat, however not on the radar of most people above the age of 14. On January 8th, 2021, this all changed.
Following the release of her debut single ‘drivers license,’ her fame propelled. After the single dropped, teenage romance conspiracy videos surrounding the backstory of the song began multiplying on TikTok. Users became invested in rumors of romantic betrayal surrounding Rodrigo’s involvement with High School Musical co-star Joshua Bassett and his fling with actor Sabrina Carpenter. From her choice of wardrobe in the music video to song lyrics paralleling events mentioned in interviews, TikToks detailed the ‘easter eggs’ that Olivia left behind supporting these fan theories.
Sour by Olivia Rodrigo Album Cover
The virality of the song got a second wave following a trend started by creator Mel Sommers. TikTok users clad in sweatpants would mournfully lip-sync alongside Olivia, only to drop onto mattresses in full face and hair in beat with the powerful bridge of the song.
The ripple effect of these trends placed a limelight on the lovelorn ballad, proliferating its streaming numbers. Three days after the track’s release, ‘drivers license’ had amassed 15.2 million global streams, breaking the Spotify record for most streams in a day for a non-holiday song. The following day, the song received an additional 17 million streams, breaking this record once more. On Amazon Music, the song set yet another ceiling for having the biggest number of streams during a first week debut across the globe. Fast-forward to today, ‘drivers license’ sits at 1.3 billion streams and Olivia Rodrigo holds claim to three Grammys, including Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance.
Ultimately, the attention brought to Olivia Rodrigo through Tiktok has been leveraged into a career for herself that has outlived a viral moment, placing her in the ranks of Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and other heavy-hitters within the Pop genre.