Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs

Olivia Rodrigo Songs

Photo: The White House official YouTube channel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list takes a look at one of Hollywood’s rising stars. Olivia Rodrigo is an accomplished actress, singer and songwriter. Her debut single “Drivers License” broke Spotify records multiple times for having the most daily streams. She had over 15 million streams in one day and sold even more than that the next day. Her track went on to break a record with an astonishing 80 million streams in one week. People really enjoyed her single. Her follow-up single “Déjà vu” debuted at number eight on the Billboard 100 charts. She became the first artist to have two singles debut in the top 10. It’s time to get to know Olivia Rodrigo better.

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born February 20, 2003. She knew what she wanted to do at a young age. Olivia Rodrigo took voice lessons while she was in kindergarten. She also learned how to play the piano. In addition to voice lessons, she took acting and singing classes at the tender age of six. When she turned 12 she started playing the guitar. Olivia Rodrigo grew up listening to bands like No Doubt, Pearl Jam and Green Day. Olivia Rodrigo wanted to become a songwriter after listening to her idol Taylor Swift.

Olivia Rodrigo got her start in the entertainment business by becoming an actress. She appeared in a commercial for Old Navy. She made her acting debut in the movie An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success in 2015. She also starred on the TV series Bizaardvark in 2016. Olivia Rodrigo was on the show for three years. In 2019, she appeared in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She wrote a couple of songs for the soundtrack. She wrote “All I Want” and “Just for a Moment” for the soundtrack. “All I Want” was a minor hit for Olivia Rodrigo. The single peaked at number 90 on the Hot 100 charts.

Olivia Rodrigo signed with Interscope/Geffen Records in 2020. She proved she was a shrewd businesswoman by making a slick deal. She made sure that she maintained ownership of the masters for her music. Olivia Rodrigo made her splash onto the music scene with the release of her debut single “Drivers License.” The song was a hit for the singer so she should have been on cloud nine with its release. Unfortunately, she had to take the good with the bad. The single was surrounded by controversy because the singer/actress was accused of being involved in a love triangle. We’ll get into the juicy details of that story later in the Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list.

“Déjà vu” and “Good 4 U” were released after her big smash hit “Drivers License.” She finally released her debut album Sour in 2021. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. The album sold over 295,000 copies in its first week. It was the biggest first week sales for a female artist. It was the first album in history to have two songs debut at number one on the Billboard 100 charts. She had one of the best debut albums in 2021. All of the singles released from the album debuted in the top 10. “Drivers License” debuted at number one on the charts. “Déjà vu” peaked at number three on the charts. “Good 4 U” peaked at number one on the charts. “Traitor” peaked at number nine on the charts. “Brutal” peaked at number 12 on the charts. Rodrigo faced more controversy when she released “Brutal.” She was accused of plagiarism for this track. We will delve into those details later.

Olivia Rodrigo is an award winner. She won numerous awards for her debut album. She won Iheart Radio Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Myx Music Awards, Time 100 Next and RTHK International Pop Poll Awards. She may not have been in the music business for a long time, but she managed to make quite an impact. She managed to make musical history with the release of her hit singles as well as her hit album. There aren’t that many singers who have accomplished that feat. Our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list will feature her best songs as of now.

# 10 – Brutal

The first song on our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list is “Brutal” from the Sour album. The song has an alternative rock, grunge and pop rock sound. The self-destructive song is about her insecurities about becoming an adult. The song is relatable to teens who are on the verge of becoming adults. She’s practically the next Avril Lavigne with her style of music. The music will grab your attention. The track has rock instrumentation. It contains thrashy, electric guitar riffs and a thumping drumbeat. As we promised earlier, we were going to give the details about the controversy behind the song.

Olivia Rodrigo was accused of plagiarism because of the guitar riffs being similar to Elvis Costello’s song “Pump It Up.” People noticed it sounded similar to the classic song. He was okay with the similarities because he understood how the business worked. He sampled Bob Dylan’s song “Subterranean Home Sick Blues” to create “Pump It Up.” You can listen to the track and decide if it sounds similar to Elvis Costello’s song. Olivia Rodrigo sounds sassy and demanding as she’s expressing her teen angst. Her vocals are appropriate for someone her age. She sounds similar to Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift.

# 9 – Hope U R Ok

The next song on our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list is “Hope U R Ok” from the Sour album. The song has a pop rock sound. The inspirational song is about people who are having hard times. The empathetic song has an uplifting message for people who are dealing with terrible issues. This song is a break away from her angsty and bitter tracks. She proved she could do a song that’s outside of her comfort zone. Olivia Rodrigo wrote this track based on her friends. The song is an anthem for people dealing with problems.

The title basically tells you how she feels. She made the right choice by making the song a ballad because the lyrics sound more powerful and meaningful. This is an excellent song to listen to if you are feeling depressed. The music isn’t hardcore rock. It has enough of a rock element to please rock fans, but it’s not as extreme as other songs. The guitar riffs are impressive. The guitar doesn’t overpower the track so you can still appreciate the message behind the song. Olivia Rodrigo sings the song in her normal soprano voice as well as in falsetto. Her voice is layered so she sounds like more than one person. She creatively sounded like a choir while she sang the chorus. This powerful track is worth a listen. It’s underrated because of her other hit songs.

# 8 – 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back

The regretful song is from her Sour album. The track has a pop rock beat. This tender ballad is about what lack of communication can do to a relationship. As soon as you think you are moving forward, you end up going back. The song has a deep message about a relationship that’s not progressing in the right direction. Olivia Rodrigo proved that she is mature to create a song like this one. Fans of her music will appreciate the vulnerability of the lyrics. She does use strong language on some of her tracks. It’s something to be mindful of since her target audience is teenagers.

Olivia Rodrigo samples Taylor Swift’s song “New Year’s Day” to create this track. It makes sense that she sampled Taylor Swift’s song since she’s her inspiration. The ballad is driven by the piano and the changing chord progression. The music is soft and stripped down. This choice gives listeners a chance to enjoy her sentimental vocals. She sings in her normal tone throughout the song. She does have moments where she sings in falsetto, but she mostly uses her normal tone. She sounds like a cross between Taylor Swift and Avril Lavigne. Her voice is pleasing to the ear while she softly sings the song. This earworm will be in your head after it’s done.

# 7 – Jealousy, Jealousy

The toxic song is from the Sour album. The song has an alternative rock beat. The obsessive song talks about being addicted to social media. It’s also about being obsessed with having the perfect life. People are constantly envious about what other people have so this song tackles that feeling. She expresses how it feels to look at people who are perfect. She doesn’t like her life and she’s “jealous” of other people. She’s talking about people who have low self-esteem. Most of us have been envious of people who seem to have it all especially when you feel like you don’t have anything.

This song is designed to make you think. It makes you aware of how often you compare yourself to others. Her songs are mostly for teenagers, but people of any age can relate to the message behind this song. Teenagers aren’t the only ones who are envious of other people. The music is infectious and will stay in your head. It has an incredible bassline and an amazing piano build. The drums give the song the tempo it needs to have you bopping your head.

The music takes you on a roller coaster because of the changes. It starts softly and then it musically explodes as it continues. She shows versatility because she sings the song in a deeper pitch. She uses a double so her voice sounds stacked. She sings one part in her lower register and the other part in her upper register. Her voice sounds good that way. Everything about the song works. It gets overshadowed because of the hit singles, but this song is worth checking out as well.

# 6 -Happier

The bitter song is from the Sour album. The song has a folk and pop sound to it. The emotional song is about her having trouble moving on with her life after a breakup. She doesn’t want her former love to be happier with someone else. She’s willing to accept that he’s happy, but she doesn’t want him to be happier with someone else. She tells a detailed story about what happened in her relationship. She’s willing to see him happy with another woman, but she doesn’t want him to be happier than he was with her. The title is misleading because it sounds like she wants her ex to be happy, but she doesn’t really want him to be happier without her.

She may come off selfish, but no one really wants an ex to be “happier” in another relationship than they were with you. Olivia Rodrigo chose an old school route for the music and melody of the song. The music has a masterful bass production. The piano chords are moving and emotional. The violin makes the song stand out and gives the song something extra. It sounds like a 50s or 60s doo wop throwback song. It proves Olivia Rodrigo has an appreciation for old school music. It was an excellent touch because it makes this song stand out from her other tracks. It may not have the alternative rock sound, but the music is enjoyable. Olivia Rodrigo allows herself to show her vulnerable side while she sings about her ex moving on with his life. She sounds angelic as she pours her heart out.

# 5 – Enough for You

The next song on our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list is “Enough for You” from the Sour album. It has a pop sound. The angry song tells the story about what she did to please her man while they were together. She talks about how she only wanted to love him, but it wasn’t enough for him. She expresses her anger towards him because he made her cry and think she did something wrong. Men and women can relate to this song if they’ve been in situations where they weren’t good enough for the people in their lives. She added a positive twist to the song. She wants to be good enough for the next person who comes along in her life.

It’s a good message to add to the song because it proves she has hope that she will be good for someone even if she’s not good enough for her ex. The music is stripped and has an acoustic sound. The guitar is the standout instrument on the track. She sings in falsetto in the song. She sounds tender and sweet. She sounds her best when she shows her vulnerable side. She holds little notes and belts in the song. She wants to prove she’s good enough for everyone and she does it.

#4 – Traitor

The drama-filled song is from the Sour album. It has a rock beat to it. The bitter song is about the way she felt after seeing her ex in a new relationship while she’s still mourning the loss of their relationship. It has a similar theme to “Happier.” She expresses her anger while she describes how he moved on two weeks after they broke up. She considers him a “traitor” because he broke her heart by moving on so fast. Here is some trivia about the song. There are rumors that she dated actor Joshua Bassett and that the song is about him moving on with someone else. She was under the impression he was just friends with a girl and they ended up together.

Olivia Rodrigo sounds very bitter while she describes what happened to their relationship. She engages the listeners so you want to get an inside look on what happened during her relationship. The lyrics will keep you glued until she’s finished. The style of the song is similar to what Taylor Swift would do. She’s known for writing songs about her relationships so it’s possible Olivia Rodrigo was inspired by that idea. The music is dramatic which matches the theme of the song. It was the perfect choice for the ballad. Olivia Rodrigo gives this song her all. She holds notes and turns it into a mini power ballad. It’s hard to believe this song is from a new artist. She sounds like she’s been in the business for a while.

# 3 – Drivers License

The somber song is from the Sour album. The song has a pop and rock sound to it. The heartbreaking song is about a relationship gone wrong. She explains what happened after her relationship ended. She talks about driving through her neighborhood after getting her driver’s license. There aren’t too many people who could create a song with this title. As we mentioned earlier, this song is filled with controversy. She should have been happy that she had a number one hit, but the song had some controversy. She was rumored to be involved with Joshua Bassett at one point. There were also rumors that actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter was dating him too

Rumors started spreading that “Drivers License” is about Carpenter coming between them. If you listen to the lyrics closely, you can tell she’s singing about someone in particular who destroys her relationship. The music is mellow and somber to match her mood in the song. The song is rock meets folk music. There’s something in it for everyone. It features cinematic piano chords, bass, synthesizer and percussion. The percussion should be featured more on the track to give it more tempo. The show stopping moment in the song is the bridge. She lets loose there and tells the world how she still loves the man who hurt her. She belts in the song and let’s her anger out while she wails towards the end of the song. You probably thought this would be number one, but two other tracks beat this one.

# 2 –  Déjà vu

The heartbreaking song is from the Sour album. The song has a pop rock sound. The dramatic song is about a former relationship gone wrong. She is upset that he’s treating his new girlfriend the way he treated her. She’s watching the experience and dealing with “déjà vu.” She isn’t happy watching her ex move on with his life while treating his new girlfriend the same way he treated her. Olivia Rodrigo’s in her comfort zone with this song. She sings quite a few songs about her bad relationships. She seems to have gone through a lot of pain during her brief life.

Someone clearly hurt her and she wants to let it out. This song is like a personal entry from her diary. The track is something Taylor Swift would have written for herself. Olivia Rodrigo sampled Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” for this track. The music is catchy and engaging. The music contradicts the theme. It sounds upbeat despite the subject matter. You would never know this was a song about bitterness because the music tells a different story. Olivia Rodrigo keeps her vocals simple. She does little runs in the song. She has control over her voice because she knows when to go in falsetto and when to come back down to her soprano vocals. This song could have been number one, but something else received the top spot.

# 1 – Good 4 U

The number one song on our Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs list is “Good 4 U” from the Sour album. It has a pop, rock and grunge sound. The rage-filled song is about her ex moving on with another person. She’s upset that he moved on quickly after they broke up. She expresses her anger as she describes what happened during their relationship. She’s not happy that he was able to make someone else happy when he didn’t make her happy. The music is a throwback to 90s and early 2000s era. It sounds like a tribute to that time. It sounds like something Avril Lavigne would have sang. The music sounds angsty. It has the perfect rock beat.

The music is also danceable. It has enough tempo to get you on the dance floor. The guitar riffs are astonishing. They are sure to please fans of rock music. The synthesizer and drums give the song its pop edge. Olivia Rodrigo races through the verses as if she’s trying to rap. She slows down the pace when she gets to the chorus. It’s amazing how she can do that without taking a breath. She sings in time with the beat. She sounds sassy and bitter while she’s expressing her disgust for him. It’s easy to tell this song was cathartic for her because she belts out her frustrations towards the end of the song. This song gets overshadowed by “Drivers License” because that’s the break out song, but this song is just as good as that one.

Top 10 Olivia Rodrigo Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2021

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