Olivia Rodrigo says the recording of her new album, GUTS, was a surprisingly “emotional” expertise, admitting that she shed many tears through the course of.
The singer revealed the small print throughout an intimate live performance in Los Angeles Monday that was a part of American Categorical’ unique “Member Week” activation. The annual occasion grants American Categorical cardholders entry to concert events, activations and different member-only perks, and this yr’s featured artist was Rodrigo, who carried out songs from GUTS for the primary time in entrance of a reside viewers.
The present, held on the Theatre on the Ace Resort, was additionally recorded for the singer’s YouTube channel, with the performances now out there to observe on-line.
The hour-long present featured Rodrigo and songwriter/producer Dan Nigro enjoying new tracks from GUTS whereas sharing behind-the-scenes tales of how every music got here to be. Under, we’ve rounded up the six greatest revelations from Rodrigo’s Amex live performance.
1. She Recorded Extra Than 20 Variations of “Vampire”
Rodrigo kicked off the night with a stripped-down efficiency of “Vampire,” the primary single off her newest album, GUTS. The singer revealed that it took her some time to get the tempo and pacing of the music excellent, telling the viewers that she “in all probability has 20 variations of ‘Vampire’ with completely different BPMs” (beats per minute).
Whereas Nigro and Rodrigo stated there have been different candidates for the album’s lead single, they each finally determined that “Vampire” was the proper re-introduction for the singer.
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2. She Cried A Lot Whereas Recording the Album
Each Rodrigo and Nigro admitted that their studio classes typically took an emotional toll on them, due partially to the success of Bitter and the stress to follow-up the Grammy-winning album. “I used to be scared [to record the new album],” Rodrigo admitted, whereas Nigro stated the singer turned “a bit valuable” when it got here to sharing her concepts, for concern of rejection.
At different instances, feelings additionally obtained the very best of Rodrigo when she was singing a few significantly private topic within the studio, as with the scornful ex who impressed “The Grudge.” “I keep in mind bawling once I wrote ‘Drivers License’ [from the first album] and I really feel like I cried whereas writing ‘The Grudge,’” she advised the viewers.
3. “The Grudge” Was Impressed by a Lyric from The Smiths
Rodrigo sought inspiration from a whole lot of locations for GUTS, from her private life, to books she learn through the pandemic. However “The Grudge” was impressed by one of many singer’s favourite bands: The Smiths. “I used to be listening to The Smiths in my automobile and in one among their songs they’ve the lyrics, ‘It takes power to be mild and variety,’” she recalled. “I actually appreciated that and got here up with, ‘It takes power to forgive however I don’t really feel very sturdy.’”
Whereas Rodrigo’s re-worked lyrics now type the emotional crux of “The Grudge,” the singer admits she doesn’t know if she’s discovered the power to forgive her ex simply but: “I’m nonetheless engaged on it,” she stated.
4. The First Track She Wrote Was the Final Track on the Album
GUTS closes with the poignant “Teenage Dream,” which Rodrigo says she truly started writing when she was 18. “I believed it’d be bizarre and nobody would relate to it,” she stated, “however the music completely encapsulates how I felt about rising up.”
Rodrigo says she truly wished “Teenage Dream” to be the primary single from the brand new album. “I wished to place it out on my twentieth birthday,” she stated. “I believed it’d be actual meta.”
There’s a little little bit of meta-ness on the music although: Nigro’s then-newborn daughter Saoirse Raine may be heard within the closing seconds of the music.
One other tidbit: “Teenage Dream” was written in the identical key as “Hope Ur Okay,” the final music on Bitter.
5. “Lacy” Was Impressed by a USC Homework Project
Whereas some songs have been written in a day, Nigro and Rodrigo revealed that different songs took longer to finish, with one specifically, “going nowhere.” Nigro took a stroll to a Greenwich Village bookstore the place he came across a e book by Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold about songwriting. “It was a e book about Robin’s songwriting course of and he wrote that a few of his songs began as poems,” Nigro recalled.
Because it seems, Rodrigo had simply began school at USC and one among her assignments was to create poetry. “One of many poems I wrote was known as ‘Lacy,’” Rodrigo stated. The remainder is historical past.
6. She Misplaced Her Voice Recording “All-American Bitch.”
Answering a fan query concerning the music she’s most excited to carry out on her upcoming GUTS World Tour, Rodrigo rapidly answered “All-American Bitch,” describing it as the favourite music she recorded in L.A. (the singer and Nigro break up time recording GUTS between L.A. and New York).
Rodrigo reveals that she “misplaced her voice screaming on this music,” with Nigro teasing that he made the singer scream for quarter-hour straight whereas recording the bridge. “I feel all of your neighbors thought I used to be being murdered,” Rodrigo quipped.
