Olivia Rodrigo sings up a storm on Today while promoting new album Guts as she reveals her poetry class at USC influenced the lyrics

Olivia Rodrigo sang up a storm on the Today show on Friday morning in support of her brand new second album Guts.

After working as a child actress in Disney shows, Olivia became a superstar in 2021 when her single Drivers License went viral.

She instantly became the Gen-Z celebrity of the moment, cementing her A-list status with the runaway success of her debut album Sour.

Last Friday she dropped the follow-up Guts and celebrated its release by taking the stage at the Today show Summer concert series.

In front of an ecstatic crowd of her fans, Olivia, 20, performed a rendition of Guts’ first single Vampire, a scathing song about disillusionment.

Background: After working as a child actress in Disney shows, Olivia catapulted to superstardom in 2021 when her single Driver’s License went viral

Her latest: This Friday, she dropped the follow-up Guts and celebrated its release by taking the stage during the Today show Summer Concert Series

“I sometimes see the parties and the diamonds when I close my eyes,” she fumes in the text. “You sold six months of torture as a forbidden paradise.”

Olivia stepped out this Friday in a skirt and top combo that gave away a hint of her enviably toned midriff, accessorizing with a set of rings that spelled out “GUTS.”

Today, show hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie interviewed her on stage about her songwriting process – and the influence it drew from her training.

Late last year, after she had already become a pop star, reports began circulating that Olivia was taking a class at the University of Southern California.

During her new appearance on the Today show, she revealed that a poetry course she took in college “helped my songwriting tremendously” on Guts.

“I took college last year because I’ve been homeschooled my whole life, so I really wanted to have that kind of experience,” she said. ‘I love learning and I love writing.’

Olivia also reflected on the emotional release she feels now that Guts is finally out, after all the work that went into its production.

‘I’m so excited!’ came up with the bad idea, right? hitmaker. “You know, I’ve been working on it for so long and living with it for so long, so today is just so cathartic and I’m so happy to be among all of you and it’s just really exciting.”

Pulled from life?: To an ecstatic crowd of her fans, Olivia, 20, released a rendition of Guts’ first single Vampire, a devastating song about disillusionment

The final detail: Olivia stepped out this Friday in a skirt-top combo that gave away a hint of her enviably toned midriff, accessorizing with a set of rings that spelled out “GUTS”

Learn: Today, show hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie interviewed her on stage about her songwriting process – and the influence it drew from her training

By the way, late last year, after she had already become a music star, reports started circulating that Olivia was taking a class at the University of Southern California.

Use it or lose it: During her new appearance on the Today show, she revealed that a poetry course she took in college ‘helped my songwriting a lot’ on Guts

‘I’m so excited!’: Olivia also reflected on the emotional release she feels now that Guts is finally out, after all the work that went into the production

Feeling the love: She said finally releasing the album “is so cathartic and I’m so happy to be with all of you and it’s just really exciting.”

‘Surprised’: Olivia has addressed rumors that Vampire, with its references to a ‘leech, fame f***er, bleeds me dry like a godd*** vampire’, is about Taylor Swift

On a personal level, Olivia’s dating history includes music producer Adam Faze, Madison Beer’s ex Zack Bia and her former Disney co-star Joshua Bassett.

Although Vampire appears at first glance to be a song about one of Olivia’s exes, there are persistent suspicions that it is in fact about Taylor Swift.

The feud rumors about the two women started in 2021, when fans noticed how similar Olivia’s song Deja Vu was to Taylor’s Cruel Summer.

Olivia eventually gave Taylor, St. Vincent and Jack Antonoff – the three writers of Cruel Summer – credit for Deja Vu and a share of the royalties.

It was once thought that Taylor and Olivia were building a friendship, but that flood of speculation disappeared due to the credit fracas.

Now Olivia has addressed rumors that Vampire, with its references to a ‘leech, fame f***er, bleeds me dry like a godd*** vampire’, is about Taylor.

“How should I answer this?” she said to the Guardian. ‘I mean, I never want to say who my songs are about. I have never done that in my career and probably never will.’

She added, “I think it’s better not to pigeonhole a song into being about this one thing.” I was very surprised when people thought that.’