More Than a Teen Idol: Olivia Rodrigo Addresses the Trials of Adolescence for Her Generation

Writing songs that reflect her personal struggles with adolescence and the pursuit of love, actress and singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has cultivated a fanbase for her music after her first single, “All I Want.” 

Written by Ilyanna Santos

Photos courtesy of V Magazine

In her role as Nini on the hit series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Olivia Rodrigo impressed fans with her songwriting ability, most prominently displayed on a hit single for the show titled “All I Want.” Fans hoped for more music from the 17-year-old, prospecting her rise to pop stardom in social media messages. “All I Want” made waves on TikTok, as many listeners used it as a way to express their personal relationship struggles, and the song gained over 100 million global streams on Spotify.

Rodrigo, hailing from Temecula, California, pursued acting and singing from a young age. In an interview with House of Solo Magazine, she explained her early love of songwriting, saying music was “the clearest window into the soul.” Although, she has only recently had the opportunity to share her musical abilities with a larger following. Rodrigo went on to appear in “An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success,” “New Girl,” and “Bizaardvark.” Her role as Nini on the “High School Musical” series allows her to have a platform to release and promote her original music, while continuing her acting career. In addition to her singing and acting talents, she is also a speaker and panelist for non-profit organization the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media, which advocates for women to have equal representation in media.  

Just as Rodrigo tackles serious topics in society in her work with the Geena Davis Institute, she explores the serious topics of her personal life through her music. The themes portrayed in “All I Want,” such as unrequited love and longing to be loved, has an emotional impact on her fans. “All I want is love that lasts / Is all I want too much to ask? / Is it something wrong with me?” she sings. Rodrigo creates relatable lyrics with her simplistic portrayal of themes for younger audiences that can relate to the feelings of timid love. The song was undoubtedly a big stepping stone in her career and helped propel her into the spotlight of musical artistry.

Beyond “All I Want,” much of Rodrigo’s music deals with youthful trials, such as young love or self-perception. The lyrics in her songs challenge societal standards placed on the young — specifically young women. Rodrigo’s song “I’m Yours,” posted on her Instagram in June 2019, has amassed over 400,000 views. Lyrics such as “I’m not a high score, I’m not a trophy / I’m not a girl in those high school movies / And I’m not down for manipulation, not here to be your validation” empower and inspire her younger listeners. Her acoustic sound, using either just a guitar or piano, amplifies the vulnerability of her lyrics. These lyrics also display Rodrigo’s efforts to change the mainstream portrayal of women as submissive in a relationship. Instead, she promotes how women should hold high standards of respect.

One of Rodrigo’s more popular original songs (with over 1.5 million Instagram views) is “Gross,” which stands out for its playful and quirky take on young love. “I wanna do everything with you / Take the highs, I’ll take the lows / I’ll keep you close, give you the most,” Rodrigo sings, allowing the listeners to understand her experiences with the honeymoon stages of a relationship.

Rodrigo’s other songs, such as “21st Century Girl,” focus on issues of self perception in the age of digital media. Lyrics such as “21st century girls are perfect / And I know it isn’t real, it’s all so stupid” illustrate how social media can make everyone wish they were like the idealized, filtered personas posted online. 

“It’s so silly how we/I define ourselves by the most arbitrary things and idolize people who are humans just like us… I wrote this song about the tendency I have to go down this self sabotaging hole,” Rodrigo wrote in an Instagram caption referencing the song. She touches on these themes again in “Never Be Like Her,” where she sings, “She’s whole where I am broken / She’s great where I am good / And I’ll never be like her, but you know I wish I could.” Here, Rodrigo reflects on her issues with comparison and how such emotions are highlighted when you compare yourself to a potential lover.

The original songs Rodrigo posts on Instagram have received positive feedback from her fans, who constantly ask her to release the full versions of her songs and drop an album in the comment sections of her posts. Although she has given no news of an album yet, listeners look to find her songs on whatever platforms they can. Fans have put  many of her originals from Instagram on YouTube or Spotify.  

With some of her biggest influences being Lorde and Taylor Swift, according to past posts on her Instagram, Rodrigo has cultivated a unique take on relatable experiences, positioning her as a voice for many younger listeners. Rodrigo fills a gap of young female artists who portray their struggles in a raw and empowering manner. As a result, Rodrigo has managed to find a balance between the bright side of life and the struggles she faces as a young woman in the music and media industry. 

Although some of her songs portray these struggles in a simplistic manner, her music vulnerably reflects her true personality. Rodrigo’s genuine display of her emotions and experiences allows many listeners to connect with her sound and messages, setting her up to break out into the music industry with future music on the way.