Olivia Rodrigo’s Songwriting Advice

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Early Songwriting Experiences 

• “All I Want” for ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ was the first song Olivia Rodrigo wrote that gained recognition. 
• This experience gave her confidence in her songwriting. 

Impact of “driver’s license” 

• The success of “drivers license” boosted Olivia Rodrigo’s confidence in her unique voice and songwriting. 
• She realized that her vulnerability and honesty resonated with listeners. 
• This realization helped her in writing subsequent music. 

Songwriting Tip 1: Listen Like a Songwriter 

Drawing Inspiration from Idols 

• Listening to music like a songwriter is the most important tip. 
• Drawing inspiration from artists you admire is the best way to grow as an artist. 
• Listen to your idols’ music and watch their interviews. 
• Try writing a song as if they were writing it to broaden your horizons. 

Specific Artists and Their Influence 

• Taylor Swift inspires Olivia Rodrigo with her picture painting, imagery, and storytelling. 
• Lorde inspires Olivia Rodrigo with her production and interesting musical choices. 
• Lorde’s poetic lyrics, which often start as poetry, also serve as inspiration. 
• Phoebe Bridgers inspires Olivia Rodrigo with her brutal honesty in songwriting. 

Songwriting Tip 2: Finished is Better Than Perfect 

Overcoming Self-Doubt 

• Force yourself to finish a song idea, even if you think it’s terrible. 
• You can always come back to it later and realize it’s great. 
• You won’t learn if you discard ideas too quickly. 
• Don’t wait for inspiration to strike; work at your craft. 

Songwriting Tip 3: Show Up for Your Creativity 

The Importance of Consistent Effort 

• Show up for your creativity, even when you don’t feel inspired. 
• Consistent effort shows the Universe you’re capable of bringing ideas to life. 
• Writing a song every day during quarantine improved Olivia Rodrigo’s songwriting. 
• Showing up is more important than talent. 

Songwriting Tip 4: Write for Yourself 

Authenticity and Avoiding External Influence 

• Write songs for yourself because you love it. 
• Writing with the intention of pleasing others diminishes the magic. 
• Avoid letting criticism influence your writing. 
• Be true to yourself and write because you love it, not for other people. 

Connecting with Others Through Honesty 

• It’s cool to see people relate to your songs. 
• Honesty is relatable, and you don’t have to try to appeal to large audiences. 
• Humans are more alike than different, and share many of the same feelings. 

Songwriting Tip 5: Read Poetry 

Lyrical Concepts and Narrative 

• Reading poetry informs lyricism. 
• Start a song with a lyrical concept or idea. 
• Olivia Rodrigo is a lyric, narrative, story-based songwriter. 
• Songs must begin with a poem, concept, or play on words.