Ever since Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album SOUR dropped earlier this year, the comparisons to Avril Lavigne were abundant. After all, both singers put out their first albums as teenagers. Albums that not only thrive with teenage rebellion but also remain unabashedly honest.
Lavigne sees that in Rodrigo’s current music and admires her candidness.
“I think it’s important for people like Olivia to give an honest voice to so many young women who are still discovering themselves,” Lavigne told Variety. “Her songs are her truth, and you can really feel that. You can tell it’s real by the way all of her fans grab onto every single world she says.”
Rodrigo reinforced those sentiments by Lavigne when she described what she sees through the lens of her songwriting in SOUR.
“I definitely saw ‘Sour’ as a kind of slice of teenage life,” Rodrigo said. “I think a big part of growing up is going through your first love and first heartbreak, and that was definitely reflected in the album, but I think songs like ‘Brutal’ and ‘Jealousy, Jealousy’ reflect the other parts of being a teenager and feeling insecure and not sure how you fit into the world.”