Olivia Rodrigo: Her Life, Career & What She Fears The Most About The Industry

Everyone has been talking about Olivia Rodrigo ever since she released her songs such as "Good 4 U" and "Drivers License" earlier this year, which propelled her to mainstream success.

However, music isn't Rodrigo's only claim to fame, as she also has a long history in the acting industry.

Rodrigo, who turned 18 this year, still has a long path of success ahead of her. She's still growing up, but unlike many of her age mates, she's doing her growth in show business.

Rodrigo recently spoke about life as big music and acting star and shared one terrifying thing that comes from growing up in the entertainment industry.

Rodrigo has been acting and singing since she was very young. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was in middle school to support her dreams of an entertainment career.

She launched her acting career when she starred in the film "An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success" in 2015. In 2016, she joined Disney to play the role of Paige Olvera in the series "Bizaardvark," a role that vastly increased her popularity among kids and teenagers.

Her career took a huge turn in 2019 when she took on the role of Nini Salazar-Roberts on Disney's "High School Musical: The Musical Series." This role allowed her to showcase and explore her songwriting and singing skills.

For Rodrigo, there are many benefits to her growing popularity and fan base, as it shows just how promising her career will be. However, she is also very aware of some downsides to fame.

In a sit down with Teen Vogue, she spoke about what it's like to grow up in the limelight and noted that something really terrifying that she has come to know is that ‘you cannot make mistakes as a teenager.’

She clarified this statement saying; “That’s something I’ve always felt confused over while growing up. When you’re in the industry, you’re sort of treated like a child but expected to act like an adult. That’s a really terrifying thought, to think that I’m not allowed to make any mistakes, because I think that’s how you grow as a person.”

She then added that she's still just 18 and no different from any other 18-year-old in the world. She's definitely going to make many mistakes in her life and career, as that's just life-- it's a part of growth, and many of her fans have expressed that they agree with her.

Rodrigo also had an interview with Elle earlier this year, where she spoke about the pressure and expectations on kids in the entertainment industry.

She shared that as a kid working in this industry, you're expected to know who you are, which caused an identity crisis for her at an age where she was still finding out who she could be.

This identity crisis caused Rodrigo to ask herself important questions such as "Who the f**k am I? How do I treat people? Who cares about me?" She added that “Most 14-year-olds aren’t in a room with adults being like, ‘So, what’s your brand?"

It was difficult for the singer to overcome her identity crisis, but she is now establishing her identity as a singer and songwriter. Her music has gone global, and her honest and raw lyrics have touched millions of hearts globally.

According to PopSugar, Rodrigo's songwriting started back in grade school, and the actress believes she has a unique talent for sharing her feelings and that of her characters through her songs.

Fans of her character in the “High School Musical” series are familiar with her incredible musical talent. She played the female lead and sang several songs for the show. She has also been part of the songwriting process for some tracks on the show, such as “All I Want” and “Just for a Moment.”

In 2021, she began releasing her music under Interscope and Geffen Records. It wasn't long before her songs began to top music charts worldwide, and she rose to fame as an acclaimed artist.

Her first song, "Drivers License," was released in January and quickly shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, she released "Good 4 U," which also became a huge hit that has stayed for twenty weeks in the top 10 ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.