Olivia Rodrigo has never been shy when it comes to expressing her love and admiration for Gwen Stefani.
The Grammy winner, currently in the middle of the “GUTS World Tour,” recently opened up to Nylon about how the No Doubt vocalist has inspired her approach to music. “Gwen’s ability to evolve and explore different styles of music, songwriting, and aesthetic while still remaining true to herself is incredibly inspiring,” she shared.
Get Olivia Rodrigo Tickets Here
Speaking about Stefani’s artistic evolution, she continued, “To me, she’s a prime example of an artist who defies stereotypes and preconceived boundaries and just makes stuff that she thinks is cool… If that’s not a true artist, I don’t know what is.”
“She unapologetically sings about things ranging from wanting to make out with someone to fantasizing about having a husband and kids,” added Rodrigo. “There’s so much heart in every word she says, and every song feels like it’s ripped from the diary of the coolest girl you know.”
In the past, Rodrigo has also pointed to Jack White, St. Vincent, and Kathleen Hanna as mentors in her career. She has also brought out Sheryl Crow at her Nashville tour stop, and described Rage Against the Machine as her favorite band at the moment.
But it all comes back to Stefani — Rodrigo kicked off the “GUTS World Tour” decked out in a shirt referencing No Doubt’s 1995 hit “Just A Girl,” after all, and covered the same song during her “SOUR” tour in 2022.
We’re just a few days away from No Doubt’s reunion at Coachella — although Stefani’s schedule will prevent the group from expanding it to a full tour anytime soon.
The “GUTS World Tour” continues through August. See the full schedule, and get tickets for North American dates here and international shows here.
olivia rodrigo wearing “i’m just a girl” shirt during opening night of her guts tour pic.twitter.com/TZG5TQHW8Y
— nyc (@livsctrl) February 24, 2024