After the kind of breakout year most artists dream of, Olivia Rodrigo capped off all the success of Sour by performing its third single, “Good 4 U” at the 2021 VMAs. Though the song was one of many that Rodrigo recently added additional artist songwriting credit too, prompting industry discussion on the subject from the likes of Adam Levine, the similarities the song shares with Paramore’s “Misery Business” are only part of what makes it beloved.
Going full throttle pop-punk sonically, Olivia kept her performance more girly with a short, cotton candy dress, but that didn’t hold her back from belting the song’s addictive chorus — oh, and smashing a camera lens for good measure. And right after she finished performing, another big moment hit for Olivia — she picked up the award for Song of the Year for her original breakout track, “Drivers License.” Considering that song dominated the charts and streaming services for the entire first half of 2021, it feels like a well-deserved victory. In true teenage fashion, Olivia dedicated her award to all the other girls “writing songs on their bedroom floor” and seemed overwhelmed that she won the category. This will likely be only the first of many awards that this young pop star picks up tonight, so keep an eye on the full winners’ list here.
Watch Olivia Rodrigo’s VMA performance of “Good 4 U” above.
