Pop your popcorn and gear up for the ultimate concert experience with the best seat in the house. “Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” premiered on Netflix on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The show, filmed in Los Angeles at the Intuit Dome, is now available to all fans (with a Netflix account) and is filled with the most energetic performance from Olivia, her dancers, band and even Chappell Roan, who was featured as a surprise guest at one of the shows. The duo sang Roan’s hit “HOT TO GO!” together, which was an incredibly fun watch.
To say that I am a massive fan of Rodrigo is an understatement. I have been listening to her music for so long and I couldn’t have been more excited to experience the “GUTS” tour again. I know that many fans could not get tickets, so I think it’s beautiful to provide access for everyone and have the show filmed.
Another incredible thing Rodrigo has done is create Fund 4 Good, a global initiative supporting women and girls. The fund “supports reproductive rights, prevents gender-based violence and champions girls’ education.” According to EIFoundation.org, a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales at the “GUTS” world tour has gone towards the fund.
Now, onto the concert. The film opens with Rodrigo cheering and running up to her team as the iconic “GUTS” candles on the screen melt (once the candles are melted, it’s a sign that the show is about to begin). They’re singing “It’s the last show” and hyping themselves up, which was so cool to see, as these were the last two shows of the tour.
“Let’s make LA and Netflix our fucking best,” says Rodrigo, and trust me when I say that they most definitely do. A short clip shows Rodrigo running “behind the scenes,” which gets the crowd so incredibly excited, and boom, the lights go on, and “bad idea right?” is the first song of the evening.
Rodrigo is magnetic, immediately grabbing your attention with her vocals, stage presence and charm. It’s undeniable that she is meant for the stage, and even through the screen, you see just how electrifying her performance is.
We jump into “ballad of a homeschooled girl,” which is anything but a ballad; it’s a rock song that brings out the hyped-out energy from Rodrigo and the crowd. One thing I noticed is that while you can hear people singing along, you can listen to Rodrigo’s music loud and clear for most of the film, which, again, is just so cool, since it provides the perfect at-home-watching experience.
Rodrigo interacts with her band, the dancers and the crowd in the most beautiful and touching way. It is evident how much she cares about her music and the people involved. “Tonight is very special, and I’m really grateful you’re here,” says Rodrigo before flowing into the first single we heard from “GUTS:” “vampire.”
Here’s a fun fact for you, dear readers of the Daily Campus: not only was Rodrigo my top artist on Spotify last year, but I listened to “vampire” 538 times (no, I promise that I’m not joking). The crowd is singing along so loudly, and I was too (and shout-out to my family that heard me scream along from the living room).
“You said it was true love, but wouldn’t that be hard? / You can’t love anyone, ‘cause that would mean you had a heart / I tried you help you out, now I know that I can’t / ‘Cause how you think is the kind of thing I’ll never understand,” sings Rodrigo. This bridge is probably one of my favorites (evidently) because it is so well-structured (thoughts on trust bridges, anyone?), and with how loudly everyone is singing along, the crowd at the Intuit Dome agrees.
This is just the beginning of the show, and its visuals, singing and energy are truly breathtaking. We immediately have “traitor,” a song from Rodrigo’s debut album, “SOUR.” Rodrigo’s dancers go on stage during this song. It was hard to take my eyes away from them, since they moved to the music as if they were born to dance to it. Every one of the dancers is so incredibly talented, and the choreography meshes with Rodrigo’s heart-wrenching music so well that you’d think it was written with them in mind.
At the end of “traitor,” Rodrigo walks off stage momentarily, and we see her band shine. This is a film review, and I will say this: I felt the vibe of the “GUTS” tour deep in my bones throughout the show, even at home. I know I am speaking as a die-hard Olivia Rodrigo fan, but I genuinely believe this is one of the best concert films I have seen.
Rodrigo then plays the piano while singing “drivers license,” also known as the song that started it all. She is alone on stage for this song, but the energy never leaves. The crowd still passionately sings along, knowing every single word. Rodrigo, who was an actress before focusing on her music career, proves herself to be a star with her stage presence. Even alone, the lights shine bright on her, and they never leave.
As much as I want to include every part and every moment of the show in this article, I cannot, so I will write this: The rest of the show is just as beautiful as the beginning. The set is just so Olivia and it is clear that her blood, sweat and tears were poured into the “GUTS” world tour. She shines so bright, and her dancers, band and everyone who worked on the tour add so much to it. There are gorgeous outfit changes, more incredibly fun choreography and, most importantly, Olivia Rodrigo.
“Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” is out on Netflix, and I sincerely promise that even if you haven’t heard a single Olivia Rodrigo song, you won’t be sorry that you watched it. So go ahead, spill your guts (metaphorically, please) and enjoy an out-of-this-world performance you will never forget.
5/5 Guts spilled.