Following the tremendous success of her debut single “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo may have a studio album in the works.
In an exclusive interview with Nylon, the 17-year old actress and singer revealed that her confidence in songwriting increased after the success of “Drivers License.”
“I thought I was going to be like, ‘I’m never going to write anything as good as ‘Drivers License.’ Nobody’s going to like it.’ But seeing everyone’s responses to the song had made me more aware of why my songwriting is special and what it is about my songwriting that resonates with people,” she explained. “I actually feel a lot more confident in my writing abilities since ‘Drivers License’ came out.”
Rodrigo also said she’s been “spending every day in my room writing songs and doing homework.”
The song that shot her to fame was praised by music critics and listeners for its accurate portrayal emotional vulnerably after a heartbreak. "Drivers License" broke numerous records, including the Spotify record for the most streams in a week, with a total of 65,873,080 streams. The single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the most dominant number-one hits in history.
Rodrigo didn’t give an official release date for the project. However, she did say that she plans to release more music this year and to “be a better artist.” Nylon reported that she currently has eight songs that she’s happy with.
She went on to discuss the sound she wants to incorporate in the debut album.
“I want it to be super versatile,” she said. “My dream is to have it be an intersection between mainstream pop, folk music, and alternative rock."
"I love the songwriting and the lyricism and the melodies of folk music. I love the tonality of alt-rock. Obviously, I’m obsessed with pop and pop artists. So I’m going to try and take all of my sort of influences and inspirations and kind of make something that I like.”
Rodrigo has been generous in addressing her excitement at the impact “Drivers License” has had on listeners. Even though the song depicts one of the most painful moments of her life, she's grateful that so many people resonated with the song.
“To see it do really well — to have this really painful moment in my life and turn it into something beautiful that can maybe help people through a tough time that they’re having like I was having a tough time — it’s just so empowering,” she told Billboard in January.
“I’m a big oversharer in all aspects of my life. But I think the best songs are songs like that. So that’s just kind of something you have to grapple with being a songwriter; people are going to see the most intense, intimate moments of my life, but that’s what makes it beautiful.”
Rodrigo’s single “Drivers License” is available to stream on Spotify and other listening platforms now.