Entertainment
The “Drivers License” singer knows her references.
Although Olivia Rodrigo was born in 2003, she’s a ‘90s child at heart. The pop star’s love for the energetic pop-rock that ruled the airwaves from the late ‘90s to early ‘00s is no secret, as she routinely cites artists like Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani among her musical inspirations.
For her Sour tour, Rodrigo’s taken her admiration for that time period’s music one step further — by routinely covering some of her favorite songs from that era, sometimes even alongside the original artists themselves. While she began her tour with only two rotating covers in the setlist, she’s since expanded to fold in songs from other prominent women singer-songwriters from that era. From her faithful rendition of Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” to her emotional take on Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn”, her covers have proven the young singer to be a dutiful student and versatile powerhouse. Below, we’ve rounded up the best of Rodrigo’s nostalgic renditions, which are really just a reminder just how great that era of music was.
“All The Things She Said” (t.A.T.u. cover)
t.A.T.u.’s “All The Things She Said” isn’t the easiest song to cover but Rodrigo made it look easy with her energetic take at her 2022 Sour tour stop in Berlin.
“F*** You” (Lily Allen cover)
Getting to hear Olivia Rodrigo and Lily Allen screaming “F**** you” already makes this cover one of her best, but they also generally sound good as heck which is just the cherry on top.
“Complicated” (Avril Lavigne Cover)
Olivia Rodrigo has performed “Complicated” with Avril Lavigne, but it’s her solo cover of the pop-punk classic at her Seattle Sour tour stop that keeps us coming back for more.
“Just A Girl” (No Doubt cover)
Since she added No Doubt’s “Just A Girl” to her Sour tour cover rotation, Olivia Rodrigo has refined the angsty growl, which you can hear all over her faithful rendition.
“Seether” (Veruca Salt cover)
You’d think Veruca Salt’s “Seether” would be ahead of Rodrigo’s time but, as expected, she pays excellent homage to the riot grrrl anthem, now a staple on her Sour tour.
“Torn” (Natalie Imbruglia cover)
There’s no better scream-a-long karaoke song than Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” and watching Rodrigo cover the song with Imbruglia makes you want to do just that.
“You Oughta Know” (Alanis Morissette cover)
Alanis Morissette doesn’t sound a day older than when she originally put out her devastating break-up anthem, and Rodrigo matches her spirit just as naturally.
