Olivia Rodrigo rose to stardom with the release of her hit song “Drivers License.” Although the 19-year-old had been acting for several years prior in shows like “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” and “Bizaardvark,” it was the singer’s grammy-nominated song that garnered the attention of the world. After fans speculated the song was about Rodrigo’s co-star and alleged ex-boyfriend Joshua Bassett, she, along with Bassett, was catapulted into the harsh limelight. 

Since its release on Jan. 8, 2021, Rodrigo has released a full-length album entitled “Sour,” in which “Drivers License” is the lead track. Now, the artist has released “Olivia Rodrigo: Driving Home 2 U,” a movie following her musical journey and the creation of her hit album.  

The documentary follows Rodrigo on a drive from Salt Lake City, the location of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” to Los Angeles. The peaceful shots of Rodrigo’s vintage blue Ford Bronco are combined with her reflective voiceovers, where she explained that much of her album was written on her drives between those two cities. 

Despite being only 77 minutes long, the film takes viewers through the inspiration behind her 11 hit songs, ranging from breakups to the harmful nature of social media. While explaining what each song meant to her, clips of Rodrigo and her producer Dan Nigro creating the songs is included.  

Throughout the road trip, Rodrigo stops to perform each song, with each performance matching the music’s aesthetic. However, the film deviates from this for the performance of “Drivers License,” which is made up of clips from different concerts and talk shows. 

The documentary does not dive into the details of Rodrigo’s upbringing but instead focuses solely on the music and its inspiration. It touches on the pressure of following a global phenomenon like “Drivers License” while being a high school senior. 

As a second-semester senior, it is shocking to watch a person my age produce an album that would capture the world. The inspiration behind Rodrigo’s album are issues that many teenagers face and can relate to, like the struggle to parallel park. Despite being an award-winning singer, Rodrigo is a regular teen at heart. 

Overall, the film is great. The concept of it being a road trip from Salt Lake to Los Angeles adds something extra to the documentary. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Rodrigo’s album and is curious about how a 19-year-old created a Grammy award-winning album.