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WORTHY FARM, England on 29th June, few performers could command the final, coveted headlining slot at Glastonbury’s storied Pyramid Stage with such ease, but for Olivia Rodrigo, a 22-year-old singer-songwriter whose rise has felt both meteoric and inevitable, it was a natural fit.
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On Sunday evening, as weary festivalgoers who had been on-site since midweek rested their aching feet and a wave of new, clear-eyed attendees arrived with complimentary tickets offered to local residents, Rodrigo stepped confidently into the spotlight. Her set wasn’t just a performance; it was a testament to her place in the contemporary pop pantheon.
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Rodrigo’s appeal, however, is no passing phenomenon. Born in Murrieta, California, and raised in nearby Temecula, she began as a Disney Channel actress before the 2021 release of SOUR, her confessional debut album that shattered streaming records and catapulted her from teen star to global pop icon. Drivers License, her breakthrough single, swiftly became an anthem of heartbreak and youthful disillusionment, resonating with audiences well beyond her own generation.
Sunday’s Pyramid Stage appearance marked Rodrigo’s second Glastonbury performance, following a much-discussed debut in 2022, where she made headlines for both her fiery set and a surprise guest appearance from British pop provocateur Lily Allen. This time, Rodrigo returned not as a rising star, but as a headliner in full command of her powers.
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Backed by a tight, guitar-driven band and a sea of purple lighting, Rodrigo powered through a set built on emotional catharsis and punk-pop urgency. Songs like Pretty Isn’t Pretty tackled self-worth with raw honesty, while Get Him Back! channeled revenge into a stadium-sized anthem. And of course, Drivers License brought a hush over the crowd, its aching vulnerability cutting through the summer night.
The evening’s most thrilling moment came when Robert Smith, frontman of The Cure, joined Rodrigo on stage for an unexpected duet of his band’s goth classics Just Like Heaven and Boys Don’t Cry, bridging generations of outsider angst with remarkable ease.
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Rodrigo’s banter between songs made clear her affection for Glastonbury, calling it “the most magical place on Earth” and recounting her Saturday afternoon spent dancing in the crowd during Pulp’s set. It was a reminder that, for all her star power, she remains a fan at heart.
The parallels to Billie Eilish’s 2022 Pyramid Stage headlining set, also accomplished with only two albums, are unmistakable. But while Eilish brought brooding introspection, Rodrigo delivered a defiant, crowd-pleasing celebration, cementing her status as one of pop’s brightest, most versatile performers.
Credit: Jennifer McCord
In the lineage of Glastonbury’s iconic closing acts, Olivia Rodrigo has now earned her place, not just as a headline artist of the moment, but as a defining voice of her generation.
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