The reigning pop princess lays claim to the throne

Taylor Swift has raised over $250 million. Beyoncé has earned $50 million worldwide. The past year has turned concert films into huge cultural events – so it’s no surprise that pop’s reigning princess Olivia Rodrigo has gotten in on the act.

Rodrigo had a career trajectory that other “new” pop stars could only dream of: the 21-year-old began her career on the Disney Channel, but somehow managed to evade the sickly sweet grip of the House of Mouse and release her debut single in 2021. A driver’s license from Geffen Records, once home to Nirvana, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. The song became a runaway hit, going viral on TikTok and reaching number one worldwide. And spawned a bona fide hit album, Sour, and Rodrigo’s stunning, angst-filled debut. But, strangely enough, the excitement – sold-out tours and Grammy Awards – never died down.

So, three years later, we saw Netflix’s star-studded release of the week in the form of Rodrigo’s concert film Guts World Tour. Recorded in August at Rodrigo’s show at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California, Guts is a grand spectacle, celebrating a fearless, guitar-wielding pop star in his prime.

People of all ages will find something to love in Rodrigo’s music: sweeping ballads (“Vampire,” “Teenage Dream”), furious, screaming pop-rock anthems straight out of the Avril Lavigne playbook (“The Hole”) (“Bad idea, right? “, “Good 4 U, take it”). Back). Star of the moment Chappell Rohan, who scored a big opening act on the US leg of this tour, appears dueting his rowdy gay scene at the YMCA, Hot to Go!

It’s nice to see that the film’s setlist includes So American and Obsessed – two tracks from the deluxe edition of Guts that, if included on the original, would have made the album a five-star (I gave it a three because for an artist of Rodrigo’s caliber, this slightly missed the target).

Directed by James Merriman, who was also behind Beyoncé’s Renaissance, it’s a slick window into one of this generation’s most intriguing stars: you see thousands of Rodrigo fans (known as “Livias”) rocking their uniforms of satin bows, plaid dresses and fishnet tights; the close-up shots of her on stage, so confident and in control, make you believe how young she is. The only thing missing is intimate behind-the-scenes footage and one-on-one interactions with Rodrigo herself; like Swift’s offerings, it’s more of a traditional concert film than a documentary.

Rodrigo is rumored to headline Glastonbury next year, but Rodrigo’s rise to the pinnacle of pop shows no signs of slowing down. What makes her so interesting is that she’s managed to do this without going down the bubblegum route favored by Ariana Grande or Sabrina Carpenter—at her core, she’s a rock artist who’s just as comfortable flailing around on an electric guitar and screaming expletives. when she sits down at the piano and plays tender love songs.

It’s tough out here for most young stars, but what about this one? It was not difficult for her to make her way to the top.

Now on Netflix

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