Review: Olivia Rodrigo delivers her own kind of girl-power message at Lollapalooza

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

There's that great line from the movie 'Jennifer's Body' from Amanda Seyfried's character: 'Hell is a teenage girl.' If the thousands of young girls and women, femmes and thems packed into the south end of Grant Park for Olivia Rodrigo's headlining set Friday night on the T-Mobile stage at Lollapalooza were any proof, hell is also 20-somethings, 30- and 40-somethings. That's intended as a compliment — look at the subject material we're dealing with when it comes to relationships these days (see terms like 'heterofatalism'). And sure, heartbreak is universal, but to borrow another phrase: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and Olivia Rodrigo is currently one of its loudest voices (again, a compliment).
For about an hour and 20 minutes, it was game on — from her opener 'Obsessed' to grand finale 'Get Him Back.' Rodrigo tackled her task head-first, backed by a dizzyingly talented, all-female band and hyper-stylish visuals — with a lot of rage, but more importantly, fierce hope.
In the hours leading up to her performance, it was clear that while Friday festival co-headliners Korn would undoubtedly have a sizable audience at the Bud Light stage on the north end of the park, she was the sight to see.
'She's a student of indie rock, alt rock, but she is pop. So she's bringing that singer-songwriter sensibility with that classic, Lollapalooza rock act, which is really fun,' says concertgoer Kelly Wedlake, who 'came out of Lolla retirement' for Rodrigo after not attending for six years. 'Perfect example, our uncle is here to see her. He's in his 60s, and he brought our 17-year-old cousin, but he's like 'No, she's cool. She's a rock goddess, she leans into that piece of it.' She's so good.'
Wedlake and sister Maggie argued that the appeal of Rodrigo and other major pop girlies with top-billing at this year's festival are proof of not only increased buying power and influence of non-males in entertainment, but also the undeniable impact of the current political climate. (Rodrigo has been a strong advocate for reproductive health and justice, as well as mental health resources on and off the road).
'The political piece of it can't be missed,' added Maggie Wedlake. 'As much as people don't want to say it.'
Rodrigo's music, set to the type of power pop-punk popularized by Avril Lavigne and Paramore (and before them Hole and Bikini Kill, and before them The Go-Go's and The Runaways), has caught fire across two albums now — 2021's 'Sour' and 2023's 'Guts.' At 22, she's the second youngest artist to ever headline Lollapalooza (second only to Billie Eilish in 2023, who was just 20), but arguably the most resonant and yes, reverent to what Lollapalooza has meant to alternative music history. She brought out Weezer for two songs (to the astonishment of nearby dads standing with their young daughters in tow) after sharing that the band's show had been her first concert. While she has enough panache — and enough hits to not need the surprise guests — she's been doing it on the festival circuit all summer long. And truthfully, if you're going to pick two Weezer songs to hear unexpectedly, they're going to be 'Buddy Holly' and 'Say It Ain't So.'
Giving her audience the full arena tour treatment, complete with extended band jams interludes, a fair amount of pyro and an outfit change, Rodrigo took her time, including through three ballads ('Vampire,' 'Driver's License' and 'Traitor') in a row. At least she knows that if you're going to sit at a piano for an extended period, there better be a cathartic tension release in the form of crashing drums and guitar somewhere mixed in. Shared vulnerability and righteous anger can spark joy, and the voices carrying the lyrics of songs including 'All-American Bitch,' 'Pretty Isn't Pretty,' and 'Good 4 U,' pogoing nonstop were bursting with both. It made this slightly jaded, female rock writer all emotional — in the way only a special music moment could.Lollapalooza 2025: What to know about the 4-day music festival at Grant Park