The ultimate all-American b—- kicked off the North American tour of her long-awaited Guts world tour on Friday (Feb. 23), as Olivia Rodrigo took the stage at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, Calif.
Following the release of her 2023 Billboard 200 chart-topping sophomore album, Guts, the newly 21-year-old superstar is now a veteran to the touring scene, and she proved it as early as the set’s opening track, “Bad Idea Right?,” during which Rodrigo strutted around the U-shaped stage with the confidence of a pop pro, complete with her standout vocals that didn’t waver throughout the full hour-and-a-half performance.
With two albums out, Rodrigo had the 11,000 fans in the crowd belting out the lyrics to every song in the career-spanning set, which included her Billboard Hot 100-chart topping lead single ballads like Sour’s breakout hit, “Drivers License” and her blood-sucking Guts opera-tinged track, “Vampire.” She also amped up the energy with her high voltage, head bang-ready songs like “Get Him Back!,” “All-American B—-,” “Bad Idea Right?” as well as “Brutal,” “Deja Vu” and more.
Rodrigo will continue to perform in North America through April, where she’s scheduled a pair of dates for April 5 and 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, then heads overseas, beginning her international dates on April 30 in Dublin, Ireland. The pop star returns to the United States with a July 19 show in Philadelphia, and wraps her world tour with two concerts at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Aug. 13 and 14.
See below for the best moments from Rodrigo’s Guts tour kickoff in Palm Springs, Calif., from tender moments of gratitude to the introduction of pop’s brightest rockstar.
“Drivers License”
There is nothing more special than a star singing their breakthrough hit to an arena full of fans. The Rodrigo who released “Drivers License” in 2021 was heartbroken and unaware of the whirlwind three years ahead of her. The Rodrigo who performed “Drivers License” in 2024, however, was visibly self-assured and proud of how far she’s come. With just a piano and her characteristically heartfelt vocals, the full circle moment of performing her first mega-hit during her second sold-out tour felt particularly special.
“Teenage Dream”
During the performance of her Guts closing track, “Teenage Dream,” the screen behind Rodrigo played a montage of videos of the star when she was a child — dancing ballet and smiling with friends, or singing into a microphone. “They all say that it gets better, it gets better the more you grow / Yeah, they all say that it gets better, it gets better, but what if I don’t?” she repeated to wrap up the track, before she looked out to the crowd, teary-eyed.
Rodrigo then stepped offstage, as a voiceover played throughout the arena of a five-year-old Rodrigo stating that she’s excited for her first show. “I dedicate this song to my friends and family,” the tiny tot is heard saying, marking another moment of gratitude and physical representation of growth during the show.
The Moon
Coincidentally, it was a full moon outside Acrisure Arena, but inside the venue, Rodrigo sat on a crescent moon and floated above the crowd for dreamy renditions of “Logical” and “Enough for You.”
“Obsessed”
Rodrigo’s Guts deluxe track quickly became viral on TikTok, and the second Rodrigo sang the opening line of “Obsessed,” the crowd ruptured into venue-shaking screams from the surprise setlist addition. At the end of the track, Rodrigo grabbed a guitar and delivered an impressive guitar solo, amplifying the rock-leaning sound of her sophomore album.
“All-American B—-”
“For this next part, I want you think of someone or something that really pisses you off and I want you to scream your heart out,” Rodrigo told the crowd after the song’s bridge. All 11,000 people in the crowd then joined the singer in soul-wrenching screams to let out the anger, marking a hilarious and healing moment of emotion during the set.
This story originally appeared on Billboard
