Olivia Rodrigo

Growing up as an “emo kid“ long before bands like Fall Out Boy and Blink-182 were selling out Madison Square Garden was not as fun as rose-colored glasses may lead today's youth to believe. Despite the bullying and low moments that came along with following this genre, one thing always kept me from leaving the scene, and that was the music. Hearing someone bare their heart out over driving guitars and loud drum beats is something that will never not be cathartic to me. Olivia Rodrigo is maybe an unlikely candidate as the youthful voice to keep this tradition going into 2023 and beyond, but the talent and emotion that she pours into her songs, specifically on her latest release GUTS, is simply undeniable. Whether it was her catchy and infectious singles like “Get Him Back!“ and “Bad Idea Right?“ or deeper cuts like “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl“ (my personal favorite), her songs have given a new generation a taste of how fun the pop-punk genre can be when done at its best. As much as I wanted to gatekeep the genre away from a Gen Z superstar who got her start on the Disney Channel, after giving her albums a chance, I'm proud to call myself a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan. I look forward to catching her on tour in 2024 and can't wait to see what she does next.

2023 was a chaotic year that many sought catharsis from. I can think of no better way to do that than screaming along to some catchy pop-punk jams. It won't fix the world's problems, but it can help us all feel less alone.

Anyone who has been following pop-punk as long as I have has probably noticed a disturbing trend. Besides Paramore, female stars in the genre have been incredibly few and far between. Add to that the constant disappointing news cycles about men in the scene abusing their power (specifically abusing their power in relationships with young women), and I couldn't be any happier that the new face at the forefront of the genre is a talented and intelligent young woman who is proving that girls can rock even harder than guys.