Olivia Rodrigo's Encore at NPR's Tiny Desk, Two Years After Dominating the DMV Scene

Olivia Rodrigo reveled in the "huge honor" of gracing NPR's Tiny Desk for her concert series, a journey that began two years ago with her viral DMV takeover.

 

In a captivating video released by NPR on Monday, December 11, the 20-year-old artist expressed her awe, stating, "I've never been star-struck by a room before," setting the stage for a performance featuring tracks from her latest album, Guts.

 

Kicking off the set with "Love is Embarrassing," Rodrigo shared that the song emerged after a night of self-reflection, recounting, "lying in bed and just playing back every embarrassing thing you've ever done and just cringing at yourself." Remarkably, this track became the final addition to her sophomore album.

 

Continuing the musical journey, Rodrigo delved into "Vampire," "Lacy," and "Making the Bed." The intricate process behind "Vampire" unfolded as she revealed it took a month of fine-tuning with producer Dan Nigro. As for "Lacy," Rodrigo transformed a poem from a USC poetry class into a song, marking a significant departure from her usual songwriting process.

 

"I wrote this poem as one of my homework assignments that I really loved," she recalled. "It was the first time I've ever written a song by taking a full sheet of lyrics and then putting a melody to it."

 

Detailing her songwriting approach, Rodrigo explained her simultaneous creation of lyrics and melodies, making the experimental journey of putting music to her poem a defining moment. The result? "Lacy" emerged as one of her favorite songs on the record.

 

The gamble paid off handsomely for Rodrigo, as Guts earned six nominations for the upcoming 66th Grammy Awards. Among the nominations are Album of the Year, Record of the Year ("Vampire"), Song of the Year ("Vampire"), Best Pop Solo Performance ("Vampire"), Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Rock Song ("Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl").

 

Rodrigo's return to NPR's Tiny Desk marked a significant evolution from her debut in December 2021, where she and her band performed in an empty DMV, paying homage to her hit single "Drivers License" amid Covid-19 restrictions preventing artists from appearing in NPR's studio.

 

The encore at Tiny Desk followed Rodrigo's recent appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, where she surprised audiences with a comedic cameo alongside host Adam Driver and SNL cast members Marcello Hernandez and Ego Nwodim in the "Tiny Ass Bag" skit.

 

In the grand narrative of Olivia Rodrigo's musical journey, NPR's Tiny Desk stands as a symbolic milestone, where the artist's evolution and creativity continue to captivate audiences worldwide.