When 18-year old Olivia Rodrigo unveiled her titanic first single, ‘Drivers License’ in January 2021, no-one could have predicted the groundbreaking impact that it was about to have on listeners across the world. Following a social media storm that centred on a painfully awkward love triangle between Rodrigo and her fellow Disney stars, the evocative alt-pop ballad hit the top spot on both sides of the Atlantic and smashed the Spotify record for most song streams in a week.
With the biggest song on the planet and its equally excellent follow-up, ‘Deja Vu’, to her name, the excitement surrounding the actress and singer-songwriter’s debut full-length effort is reaching fever pitch. Here’s everything we know so far about the new Olivia Rodrigo album.
WHEN’S OLIVIA RODRIGO’S DEBUT ALBUM RELEASED?
The countdown to Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album is on! On April 13, she confirmed via social media that the title of her first full-length effort is ‘SOUR’.
However, Rodrigo began to tease details of the release effort prior to the official announcement. In a newsletter sent to fans on April 12, Rodrigo confirmed that there would be 11 tracks on the album.
Earlier that month (April 1), she shared an excited update to Twitter: “alsoooooo i fucked around and made an album. i’m so proud of it. presave here. artwork, title, and track listing coming soon eeeek!!!”
The same tweet included a link to a website where listeners could view a purple placeholder cover and pre-save the record on Spotify. It also revealed the official release date to be May 21, 2021.
HAVE WE HEARD ANY SONGS FROM THE NEW ALBUM?
Smash hit ‘Drivers License’ and recent single ‘Deja Vu’ both feature on the final tracklist.
WHAT’S THE NEW RECORD GOING TO SOUND LIKE?
In a video interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Rodrigo confirmed that she has been working on her debut album with friend and frequent collaborator, Dan Nigro, whom she described as her “favourite person in the world”. Nigro, who is the former lead singer of indie band Tall As Lions, has previously worked with the likes of Kylie, Carly Rae Jepsen, Conan Gray and Caroline Polachek, among others.
He also co-wrote the two singles that have preceded the release of Rodrigo’s first LP. From this, we can hope for a further series of big, bright pop anthems that channel the beautifully intimate songwriting of Rodrigo’s hero, Taylor Swift, and the melodramatic beat shifts of Lorde.
Bookmark this page for more info on Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album, as we have it.
