Olivia Rodrigo has opened up about the emotional challenges she faced while spending long periods away from home during her tours.
The 23 year old singer reflected on the anxiety she experienced throughout her GUTS world tour, admitting life on the road disrupted her sense of routine and stability.
Speaking with Cosmopolitan, Olivia shared that anxiety is still something she continues to navigate today.
“I'm serving anxious forever,” she admitted. “I was really nervous the first 10 shows of the GUTS tour. It was hard to be away from home and not have any sense of normalcy.”
The “Good 4 U” star launched the 2024 tour in support of her second studio album, GUTS.
Looking back on the experience, Olivia said: “I was freaking out; my nervous system was crashing out. I still get anxious. It's just different than when I was younger.”
She also revealed one of the techniques she uses during performances to help manage her nerves on stage.
“I always pick out a person and just sing to them; everyone else is just on the side,” she explained.
Elsewhere in the interview, the Filipino American artist reflected on the lessons she took away from the 16 month tour, including the emotional experience of performing in the Philippines for the first time.
“This sounds so cheesy, but the power of music,” she said while discussing what the tour taught her. “I had never been to the Philippines in my life, and being able to go there and play in an arena of 55,000 people is so crazy.”
Olivia continued, “I loved watching the young girls in the crowd sing songs like Traitor.”
The “Drivers License” singer is expected to head back on tour this September for The Unraveled Tour, supporting her upcoming third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love. The album is scheduled to arrive on June 12.
