Olivia Rodrigo Reveals How Lorde 'Pure Heroine' Inspired Her Songwriting

Olivia Rodrigo is giving her flowers to Lorde as one of her earliest songwriting influences. In fact, she recalls buying "Pure Heroine," Lorde's wildly successful debut album, as the first album she bought with her own money as a teen.

She also remembers how the album has become an integral influence in her songwriting capabilities which she is lauded for today.

Olivia Rodrigo Takes Songwriting Classes From Lorde's 'Pure Heroine'

At The Hollywood Reporter Songwriters' Roundtable Discussion, Olivia Rodrigo reveals how Lorde inspired her songwriting.

"I remember getting my first phone - I was probably 12 or 13 - and the first thing I did was download Lorde Pure Heroine," she told the crowd composed of Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste, Cynthia Erivo, Dua Lipa, and Julia Michaels.

According to Rodrigo, she loved the record so much that she listened to it when she first started writing songs.

"I remember listening to it as I first started writing songs and just being blown away by her lyrics that are just about being a teenager living in the suburbs," she recalled. "I just remember never hearing my life be put into a song like that where it just made being young and doing these seemingly unimportant things feel so sacred. That album is one of my favorites and she still inspires me a lot to this day."

Perhaps one of Lorde's most iconic songs today is "Royals," which is the lead single from "Pure Heroine." According to Rodrigo, that song changed her life.

"I remember hearing that song on the radio at the time," Rodrigo revealed. "It was one of those pinch me moments where you always remember, snapshot memory, like, 'Oh my God, what is this?!' Changes the trajectory of your life."

Watch The Hollywood Reporter's Songwriters Roundtable Discussion below.

Rodrigo has recently been shortlisted at the 2024 Academy Awards for her song "Can't Catch Me Now" from "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes."

Lorde has also written songs for the said franchise - "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" for the "Catching Fire" movie and "Yellow Flicker Beat" for "Mockingjay: Part 1."

Lorde 'Pure Heroine' Grammy Awards

Lorde's debut album, "Pure Heroine" was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. (via CNN)

Meanwhile, "Royals" bagged both Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year.

Tags

Lorde, Olivia Rodrigo