Rising pop icon Olivia Rodrigo–who just celebrated her 21st birthday on February 20, 2024–continued the start of her 2024 word tour for her sophomore album GUTS with a sold-out show at the Footprint Center in Downtown Phoenix on Saturday, February 24. The massive crowd made up mostly of young and teenage girls (many in attendance with their own “dad-of-the-year” candidates) waiting to get into the venue was hard to miss for anyone looking to spend a nice night out Downtown.
The artist rose to fame as Nini Salazar-Roberts on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on Disney+ in late 2019, but she grew into a sensation overnight with the release of her first single, “driver’s license,” in early 2021. Within a week, she was hitting and breaking Spoitfy and Billboard records, and would later become the first artist to debut their first two songs in the top ten of the Billboard Top 100 with her release of “deja vu” in April 2021.
Chappell Roan, a relatively new pop star who is gaining more and more popularity on TikTok, opened for her fellow pop icon, playing a set that highlighted her hits from her Pink Pony Club and The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess eras.
Rodrigo played an impressive 22-song set–divided up into three different acts. Aside from crowd interactions and a few wardrobe changes, she hardly took a break in-between songs, making sure the high energy never fizzled out.
Act one focused heavily on Rodrigo’s biggest hits, serving as an engaging kick-off for the night. As she appeared on stage, the entire arena burst with screams of excitement, and as the first word of “bad idea, right?” left her mouth, only the sound of the fans singing along could be heard; not Rodrigo herself. The entire first set was more of a karaoke session with the artist as the crowd’s backup singer than a concert, but it made the show an immersive experience.
Her second act had the most songs, and the thoughtfulness of the ones chosen created a good representation of what growing up as a young woman is like, whether you’re in the spotlight or not. Through “pretty isn’t pretty,” “jealousy, jealousy,” and “deja vu,” the audience experienced a story of growing up through the eyes of a teenage girl and the challenges she faces, like self-consciousness and heartbreak.
The highlight of the second act came a third of the way through when the lights went off after “making the bed”. In the faint glow of cell phone flashes, a giant, illuminated crescent moon and stars of different sizes slowly descended from the ceiling and across the room. For her performances of “logical” and “enough for you,” the singer climbed onto the moon and glided around the main floor, waving to fans and giving those in the 100 sections an opportunity for a close-up view.
Rodgiro ushered in her new, more grown-up era with her third act, focusing on her recent edgier songs that show a tougher, independent and “no bullshit” attitude that is different from her High School Musical and SOUR eras. As she (and her demographic) get older, her image, stories and sound will grow with her, and with her more alternative and loud spirit shining through on GUTS, she is preparing her audience for the changes they will all experience, while continuing to be true to herself and what she wants to create in this world.
As a true performer, Rodrigo utilized different facets of the art world. In addition to her fun, on-brand graphics and videos that played during her set, she performed with a live band and a dance crew that made appearances in a handful of songs. As a standalone performer, it can be challenging to make your shows stand out and stand up to concerts with more artists. Rodrigo took this challenge by the horns and put on a well-rounded performance.
This show was more than just a night to remember for the sold-out arena. For young and teenage girls, it showed that their experiences are universal, and even the most famous pop stars deal with real body image issues, heartbreak and fear of growing up and what the future holds. For the supportive parents and partners, it was an opportunity to share a unique joy and create meaningful memories with their loved ones. And for sisters and best friends, it was a night of bonding, bringing them closer together as they belted their hearts out, reminiscing on their own journeys of growing up together and sharing those memories and feelings with the people who know them best.
Olivia Rodrigo Setlist:
Act 1
bad idea, right?
ballad of a homeschooled girl
vampire
traitor (extended outro)
driver’s license (on piano)
teenage dream (spoken intro; extended outro; on piano)
Act 2
pretty isn’t pretty
love is embarrassing (extended dance break)
making the bed (extended intro)
logical (extended intro; on moon)
enough for you (on moon)
lacy (extended intro)
jealousy, jealousy
happier
favorite crime
deja vu (extended outro)
the grudge
Act 3
band interlude
brutal (extended intro; shortened)
obsessed (extended outro)
all-American bitch (extended outro)
Encore
good 4 u (extended outro)
get him back
Chappell Roan Setlist:
Femininomenon
Naked in Manhattan
After Midnight
Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
HOT TO GO!
Casual
Red Wine Supernova
My Kink is Karma
Pink Pony Club
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