Olivia Rodrigo's NPR Tiny Desk Debut: A Testament to Her Journey Since the DMV Takeover
Olivia Rodrigo triumphantly graces NPR's Tiny Desk once again, captivating audiences with her soulful performance of four Grammy-nominated songs from her album 'Guts' Don't miss this extraordinary musical experience!
Olivia Rodrigo considered it a "huge honor" to perform at the actual "tiny desk" for NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, stating that she had never been star-struck by a room before. The 20-year-old singer performed a selection of tracks from her new album, Guts, in a video released by NPR on Monday, December 11.
Rodrigo kicked off her performance with "Love is Embarrassing," a song she wrote reflecting on cringe-worthy moments after a night spent replaying embarrassing memories in bed. This track was the final addition to her second album.
Following this, Rodrigo performed "Vampire," "Lacy," and "Making the Bed." She revealed that, unlike "Love is Embarrassing," which came together relatively quickly, "Vampire" required a month of meticulous crafting with producer Dan Nigro. Additionally, "Lacy" began as a poem resulting from a poetry course Rodrigo took at USC the year before.
"I wrote this poem as one of my homework assignments that I really loved," she said. "It was the first time I’ve ever written a song by taking a full sheet of lyrics and then putting melody to it."
When writing songs, Olivia Rodrigo creates lyrics and melodies simultaneously. Adding music to her poem was a significant experiment for her as a songwriter, and it ended up becoming one of her favorite songs on the album.
The experiment yielded great results with Guts receiving six nominations for the 66th Grammy Awards. These nominations include Album of the Year, Record of the Year for "Vampire," Song of the Year for "Vampire," Best Pop Solo Performance for "Vampire," Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Rock Song for "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl."
Deal of the Day
Shop Serious Skincare's Hydrating and Trendy Ultra-Mare Creme While It's on Sale Today
View Deal
NPR Music/YouTube
In December 2021, Rodrigo and her band made their Tiny Desk Concert debut by performing in an empty DMV as a tribute to her hit single "Drivers License" due to Covid-19 restrictions preventing artists from appearing in NPR's studio at the time.
Following her appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Rodrigo made a surprise cameo in a sketch, showcasing her comedic talent by joining host Adam Driver and SNL cast members Marcello Hernandez and Ego Nwodim in the "Tiny Ass Bag" skit on Saturday, December 9th.
