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Olivia Rodrigo is the star of Disney+‘s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. She is an actor as well as a singer. With over 7 million followers, she is a social media personality as well.

However, during her early teenage years, Rodrigo struggled to figure out her identity. She now opens up about the “identity crisis” she had back then.

Olivia Rodrigo standing in front of white background
Olivia Rodrigo | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Olivia Rodrigo became a Disney star at age 12

Rodrigo went into show business at a young age. She started out in Hollywood with small roles before landing a starring role on Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark at age 12. Rodrigo was on the show for three seasons.

In 2019, Rodrigo gained more recognition when she began starring on the HSMTMTS.

Olivia Rodrigo had an identity crisis when she was 14

Many people make use of their teenage years to discover who they are. However, this process was a bit different for Rodrigo.

As Rodrigo told Elle in a recent interview, she had an “identity crisis on steroids” when she was 14 and a middle schooler. “Who the f*** am I? Who cares about me? How do I treat people?” she said.

Rodrigo also had expectations placed on her that other kids didn’t. She was not only playing a character on TV, but she was also expected to craft a public image of herself.

“Most 14-year-olds aren’t in a room with adults being like, ‘So, what’s your brand?’ ” Rodrigo said.

Olivia Rodrigo is establishing her identity as a musician

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Rodrigo is 18 now and is establishing her identity as a musician. She has showcased a lot of musical talents on HSMTMTS, and she began taking serious steps towards a music career in 2021.

Rodrigo has released two singles so far—“Drivers License” and “Deja Vu.” Both of them charted in the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, with “Drivers License” staying at the number one spot for eight consecutive weeks earlier this year. Rodrigo will release her debut album, Sour, in May.

Aside from singing, Rodrigo is also making waves as a songwriter. She composes raw, honest lyrics about her emotions and experiences. “Drivers License” and “Deja Vu,” for example, talk about the complicated feelings that arise in love and heartbreak. 

“Music is such a great way to communicate with people,” she said, according to Popsugar. “An author could spend three years writing a book and somebody could read it and not remember a single word, but a songwriter could spend an hour writing a song and hundreds of thousands of people will know every single lyric to it and could sing it backwards and forwards. It’s an honor to be a songwriter and have that power.”

She also added, “I hope that people find truth in my songs. I hope that they can relate to it somewhat and feel like they’re not alone.”

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