21 for 21: Olivia Rodrigo’s most memorable moments (so far)

Over the course of three short years, Olivia Rodrigo emerged as one of the defining pop stars of the 2020s. Shortly after the melancholy “Drivers License” became a viral sensation in 2021, Rodrigo’s debut album Sour became the rarest of things: an album rooted in classic pop-rock traditions that felt startlingly fresh due to her sharply defined personality.

Sour became a commercial and critical hit, earning three Grammys in the process. Last year’s Guts may not have won any Grammys, but in every other respect it matched its predecessor. The single “Vampire” topped the chart and was a critics favorite: Robert Christgau, the Dean of American Rock Critics, placed it number one on his Best Of 2023 list.

Guts suggests that Rodrigo has a long career ahead of her but she already has plenty of memorable events in her rear view mirror. In celebration of her 21st birthday, here are 21 defining moments in Rodrigo’s supernova of a career.

20. “Can’t Catch Me Now” (2023)

If you need proof that Olivia Rodrigo catapulted into the front ranks of pop stars with her first album Sour, when The Hunger Games rebooted with a retconned prequel, Rodrigo stepped into the shoes left by Lorde, delivering the theme song for The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes. The plaintive folky “Can’t Catch Me Now” initially seems delicate, yet there’s a strength to the song’s message that’s underscored by its haunting melody.