Meet Olivia Rodrigo, 17 y/o actress and teen-queen du jour. Her first release, “Driver’s License,” is out and it’s a hit on multiple formats.
Less than a week after release, the song logged 20+ million YouTube views, broke Spotify records by becoming the most streamed song in one day, and is a trending sensation on Tik Tok.
Rodrigo is as captivating as the song is mournful…
I got my driver’s license last week
Just like we always talked about
‘Cause you were so excited for me
To finally drive up to your house
But today I drove through the suburbs
Crying ’cause you weren’t around
Starring in several Disney series gave Rodrigo a built-in fan base, but the song holds its own, exploring freedom, falling in love, and the loneliness of being alone, again, emotions that resonate with her audience, who are probably going through a similar experience.
Not surprisingly, Top 40 radio responded instantly with a deluge of airplay, where it’s already top-ten, and is also charting #20 on Adult Top 40 and #34 on Adult Contemporary.
Rock has a long history of Teen Queens: Brenda Lee was only 13-years old when she scored her first hit ,”One Step A Time,” and Lesley Gore was just 16 y/o, when “It’s My Party” owned the day.
Later Teen Queens include Marie Osmond, Debbie Gibson, and Tiffany.