Once upon a playlist, a young Olivia Rodrigo gripped her first phone like a magic wand, conjuring the enchanting melodies of Lorde’s ‘Pure Heroine’ into her ears. At the tender age of 12 or 13, this was more than music; it was a rite of passage. ‘Pure Heroine’ echoed through the corridors of Rodrigo’s dreams, a soundtrack to teenage suburbia, turning the mundane into mystic ceremonies of youth. Lorde, the New Zealand wunderkind, wove lyrics and beats into an anthem for every overlooked soul seeking something sacred in the simplicity of being young.
And there was ‘Royals,’ a song that for Rodrigo was not just a tune but a portal, a ‘pinch me’ pop moment that forever mapped the trajectory of her lifeline through the stars of songcraft. Cinematic flashbacks to a radio playing the tune now score Rodrigo’s recall of the heart-stopping discovery.
As Hollywood’s finest gathered around The Hollywood Reporter’s ‘Off Script’ series, tales of first albums spun a nostalgic web. From Erivo’s adoration for Brandy to Lipa’s Keys and Furtado renditions, and Batiste’s eclectic quartet of Jackson, Badu, D’Angelo, and Björk—each artist shared an origin story, a first note that serenaded their path to stardom.
Julia Michaels found her voice in the raw revelations of Morissette’s ‘Jagged Little Pill,’ while Billie Eilish set her sails to the anthemic winds of AWOLNATION and Green Day. Every confession was a heartfelt tribute to the records that shaped the symphony of their lives.
Meanwhile, Lorde, the lyrical siren, teased her fans from her pajama-clad sanctuary, offering Instagram glimpses of a brewing storm of new sounds. Riding incognito on the subway, earbuds cradling unheard tracks, she confirmed the whispers of her latest creation with the fans that adore her.
For Rodrigo, a star nominated for splashing six Grammy slots, the echoes of ‘Vampire’ and ‘Guts’ swirl in the limelight’s dance. Her ‘Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl’ stands tall, a rock anthem challenging legends and showing that the spark ignited by ‘Pure Heroine’ burns brightly within her, paving the driveway from unwritten ballads to the hall of fame.
