Why Olivia Rodrigo Had Major BREAKDOWN Before First SNL Performance: 'I Don't Know If I Can Do It!'

Olivia Rodrigo is one of the biggest rising stars in the music industry right now, and despite already being a celebrity long before her debut, she has never experienced such pressure and expectations.

As per a fan account that shares the "Vampire" singer's music stats and other related news about the singer on X (formerly known as Twitter), Rodrigo revealed that shortly before she went onstage for her debut performance at the "Saturday Night Live" show, she had a breakdown.

"My producer was there, thankfully, who I love and trust so much, and I was crying to him. 'I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I can do it. I'm so scared.' He's, like, 'You got it. I love you. You can do it,'" she recalled.

Dan Nigro has been working with Rodrigo since her debut album, "Sour," and has continued working with her for her sophomore album, "GUTS."

The "Get You Back" singer knows a thing or two about being under pressure, after all, following the release of "Sour," she was expected to roll out a sophomore album that could go up to par-if not better than its predecessor.

Olivia Rodrigo is a Professional

According to reports during that time, a Vogue journalist, Jia Tolentino, was with the singer in her dressing room and witnessed the entire breakdown.

Apparently, that SNL performance was the "Drivers License" singer's second performance ever.

"The first time she ever performed her own songs live, it was at the BRIT Awards," Tolentino wrote. "The second time, it was on Saturday Night Live.

"She tells me that she had never been more scared in her life than she was in the dressing room, that she was literally crying from nerves.

The journalist went on to describe how Rodrigo handled the situation with grace, praising and commending her performance and professionalism.

"And still, that night, she crushed it - ably managing a stage whose tricky acoustics flummox veteran acts all the time. 'She's a professional in everything she does,' says Carole King. 'She's been a professional for a long time.'"

Olivia Rodrigo's Growth After 'Sour'

Rodrigo has spoken about the "scary" side of being famous multiple times, and as someone who shot to stardom after releasing a snippet of an unfinished song, she is still navigating her way through the industry.

"I feel so lucky that I get to tour. I'm in such disbelief that people want to come and see me play my little songs," the singer said. "But it's really difficult to go for long periods of time. I'm still figuring out how to do it all and what that looks like for me."

Tags

Olivia Rodrigo, SNL