Olivia Rodrigo Says Alanis Morissette Changed the Way She Looked at Songwriting
Olivia Rodrigo is a High School Musical: The Musical: The Series cast member and a Grammy Award-winning artist, crediting Taylor Swift and Alanis Morissette as two of her musical inspirations. Now, the “Good 4 U” singer will be inducting Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
How did Olivia Rodrigo get famous?
After appearing on Disney Channel, Rodrigo received a lead role in the Disney+ mockumentary, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, as Nini. She wrote music for this production, also releasing song snippets on her social media accounts.
Following her appearance on the Disney+ original, Rodrigo released Sour, complete with chart-topping songs “Good 4 U,” “Brutal,” “Drivers License,” and “Deja Vu.”
She earned a handful of Grammy Awards and embarked on her North American tour. In 2022, she was named the artist to present Alanis Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Olivia Rodrigo will present Alanis Morissette for the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame 2022 ceremony
Rodrigo will be inducting Morissette into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Sept. 24 at Toronto’s Massey Hall. However, this songwriter’s admiration and connection to Morissette began years before.
“I remember hearing Alanis for the first time when I was about 13,” Rodrigo said during an interview with Rolling Stone. “I was in the car with my parents when Jagged Little Pill came on. I heard ‘Perfect,’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God…. You can write songs like that?’ I just looked at music and songwriting in a completely different way.”
In May 2022, Rodrigo and Morissette united for a live version of “You Oughta Know.” This was for one concert along Rodrigo’s Sour tour, which included surprise appearances from Avril Lavigne and Conan Gray on different nights.
These performers have not yet collaborated on a song together. Still, in 2021, Rodrigo and Morissette sat down for Rolling Stones’ “Musicians on Musicians” interview — noting their shared history with acting and songwriting.
“I love how you’re so honest and talk about stuff that normally isn’t talked about in songwriting,” Rodrigo said to the “Hand in My Pocket singer. Morissette replied, “Well, you’re doing the same.”
Who are some of Olivia Rodrigo’s favorite artists?
Rodrigo often mentions her support for other musicians, listing Lorde, Cardi B, and Swift as some of her inspirations. During one interview from the 2022 BRIT Awards, Rodrigo revealed artists she wanted to meet at the ceremony.
“Oh my gosh, well, I’m actually a huge Wolf Alice fan. I think they’re incredible,” Rodrigo said before mentioning that she wants to meet Adele “really bad.”
Even original Rodrigo songs mention her favorite artists. That includes “Deja Vu,” where she sings, “I’ll bet that she knows Billy Joel / ‘Cause you played her ‘Uptown Girl.’” Music by Rodrigo is available on most major streaming platforms.
