Olivia Rodrigo's has highest selling song and album this year
- Published
- comments
In 2021 one star has been the queen of the charts - Olivia Rodrigo!
She's acted in High School Musical since 2019 but first came to many people's attention as a star with the release of her song Driver's License, in January this year.
The single has had more than one million chart sales which, combined with 123 million streams, makes it the highest-selling song of the year so far.
But that's not all!
New debut album Sour has also become the fastest selling album of the year, just six weeks after its release.
Earlier this year she also made history as the youngest solo artist to top both the UK album and singles charts at the same time.
According to the Official Charts Company, it's already had 170,000 chart sales but the album is performing even better on streaming services which make up 79% of all sales.
Two of her other singles released this year also feature in the top 40 song chart - Good 4 U at 10 and Deja Vu at 32.
Who is Olivia Rodrigo?
Before her charts success, the 18-year-old was known for playing Nini Salazar-Roberts on the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,
Now she's one of 2021's break-out stars. As well as being a talented actress and singer, Olivia Rodrigo is also regarded as a brilliant songwriter.
She wrote 'All I Want', Nini's standout song in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which has been streamed over 187 million times on Spotify alone.
She also co-wrote two other songs for the first season of High School Musical, including 'Just for a Moment' with her co-star, Joshua Bassett.
'A Swiftie to the core'
The singer and actress grew up listening to and being inspired by everyone's favourite country-turned-pop sensation Taylor Swift.
Rodrigo has called her "the best songwriter of all time" and called herself a "Swiftie" to the core.
After the success of Driver's License, her idol quickly became her mentor, with Taylor even sending Olivia a ring like one Taylor herself has worn when writing the album Red.
In fact one song on Olivia album "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back" uses the same piano melody as Taylor Swift's "New Year's Day," with Rodrigo giving Swift a credit on the song.
What's next for the record breaking star?
Olivia Rodrigo will star in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series season 3, but has said that music is the focus of her career now.
This means she could leave the series to be able to dedicate more time to performing and touring when her contract with Disney ends.
- Published6 February 2021
- Published29 May 2021