Billboard’s current cover star Olivia Rodrigo crushed it during her Saturday Night Live debut on May 15, performing her breakout hit “Drivers License” and new single “Good 4 U.”
The 18-year-old singer opened with a passionate performance of her breakup ballad “Drivers License,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year. Later during the Keegan-Michael Key-hosted episode, The High School Musical: The Musical: The Musical Series star spiced things up alongside her band with a performance of her new pop-punk song “Good 4 U.”
Both tracks will appear on Rodrigo’s highly anticipated debut album, Sour, which is scheduled for release on May 21 through Geffen Records.
In her Billboard cover story, Rodrigo touched on the heartbreak anthems she recorded for Sour. “At first I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be pigeonholed,’” she said.
So the singer tried peppering in some sweet love songs that ultimately didn’t feel like an authentic fit. “I’m a songwriter who writes from a place of authenticity and truth. And truthfully, love and happiness and everything weren’t feelings that I was feeling at the time. And what’s the point of putting out a record if it isn’t something that you feel is important to say to people?”
After the show, Rodrigo reflected on her SNL debut in her Instagram Stories. “Well that was the most nerve wracking/happy experience of my life,” she captioned a photo of her name printed on an SNL card. “Thank u 4ever @nbcsnl.”
Rodrigo’s SNL debut marked her first TV performance of “Good 4 U.” She also recently made her debut U.K. performance at the 2021 Brit Awards.
Check out Rodrigo’s Saturday Night Live performances below.
