Olivia Rodrigo celebrates girlhood and growing up at GUTS: World Tour in Seoul

[Review] Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS: World Tour captivated Seoul, blending nostalgia with youthful angst as she embraced change and her evolving identity before a vibrant, supportive crowd.

[Review]

Olivia Rodrigo during the Seoul leg of ″GUTS: World Tour″ at Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [KEVIN MAZUR]

Girlhood is complicated for everyone. Those experiencing it feel a lot of big emotions that those who are not may fail to understand, or even dismiss altogether.

This may be why Olivia Rodrigo has made this confusing and tumultuous life phase her genre. The pop sensation, just 18 years old when she released her breakout “Sour” (2021), was one of the youngest singers ever nominated in the Recording Academy's coveted Album of the Year category. She rode that success to release the highly anticipated “Guts” (2023) that transitioned to depict the painful realizations of young adulthood and the compromises she feels she must make to grow up.

Halfway through her "GUTS: World Tour," during which she turned 21, Rodrigo gave her girlhood one last hurrah, interspersing the stories of the albums to homage both her past and her future.

Olivia Rodrigo during the Seoul leg of ″GUTS: World Tour″ at Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [KEVIN MAZUR]

A web of umbrellas tangled in front of the Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday as thousands waited under light rain and unrelenting summer heat to enter the second date of Olivia Rodrigo’s "GUTS: World Tour" in Korea.

Seoul is her 56th stop since the tour kicked off February in California. The singer plans to perform 99 times through March 2025. She sold a total of 15,000 tickets to her two Korean dates and announced Thursday that she would donate part of those proceeds to the Korea Foundation for Women.

Friday's crowd, largely young women, was fashionably dressed, with notes of lavender and splashes of silver glitter — per Rodrigo’s signature colors. During the concert, Rodrigo gave that audience a shout-out: “Seoul, make some noise if you are here with your best friend! And now, hug her!”

Olivia Rodrigo performs in her ongoing "GUTS: World Tour" [CHRIS POLK]

After a short rain delay, the show opened with snarky pop-rock anthems “bad idea right?” (2023) and “ballad of a homeschooled girl” (2023) while the crowd readily raved and raged alongside Rodrigo’s iconic teenage angst.

Seoul's enthusiasm for Rodrigo’s girlhood renderings was evident, serving as a reminder that the anxieties, fears and frustrations of modern young women are unbounded by borders and cultures.

Rodrigo did, however, seemingly consider the more socially conservative backdrop of Korea: “Think of someone who really pisses you off, and then scream!” she ordered the audience on Friday, skipping the expletive that famously comes before “pisses” in her viral concert line. The conspicuous omission didn’t stop the ear-numbing roar that followed.

Olivia Rodrigo during the Seoul leg of ″GUTS: World Tour″ at Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [KEVIN MAZUR]

Her ballads were home runs as well. The artist’s silky, velvet-like voice and natural musicality suit a live microphone better than they do a recording studio. The Korean crowd sang along to every one of her songs but held its breath when Rodrigo stood alone in front center as she held back tears at the end of “the grudge” (2023).

It is worth noting that Rodrigo never forgot to sing during the concert. Jumping, kicking, dancing and prancing on stage didn’t impede her vocal performance, and even while suspended midair, sitting on a crescent moon and greeting the audience between the lyrics of “logical,” (2023) she remained attuned to the heartbreak of the song, her voice quivering over the screams and cheers of the crowd below.

Olivia Rodrigo performs in her ongoing "GUTS: World Tour." [CHRIS POLK]

She faithfully revisited every moment the songs were based on, as if alone in her room, wholly consumed in reading her past diaries.

But it was also clear that she wasn’t dwelling on the past. Before singing “Teenage Dream” (2023) — a song she'd written as an 18-year-old, worried about growing up without becoming the adult that she'd envisioned herself to be — she told her fans about the ways in which she has changed since then.

“I was absolutely terrified of growing up — I dreaded it more than anything, and, like, cried at my birthday party. I was a very emotional kid. And, now that I’m 21, I actually don’t feel that way. In fact, I’m super excited to grow up. I think about it all the time.”

Olivia Rodrigo during the Seoul leg of ″GUTS: World Tour″ at Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [KEVIN MAZUR]

It is evident from GUTS: World Tour's set list that girlhood, to Rodrigo, is about the inner struggles of embracing who you are and finding yourself amid the bombarding insecurities that arise through relationships — “enough for you” (2021) — social media — “jealousy, jealousy” (2021) — and society — “pretty isn’t pretty” (2023).

Olivia Rodrigo performs in her ongoing "GUTS: World Tour." [CHRIS POLK]

Through it all, Rodrigo's wise conclusion is not to take life so seriously. In her last encore, “get him back!” (2023), the singer grabbed a red megaphone and delivered a joyfully sneering performance about imaginary revenge as the audience zealously joined in on what really was a celebration of female youth.

Before disappearing down into the stage in a lift at the end of the song, Rodrigo made a final goofy jump that drew warm rolls of laughter from the audience. As she enters a new chapter in her life, hopefully this lightness she will keep.

Olivia Rodrigo during the Seoul leg of ″GUTS: World Tour″ at Jamsil Arena in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [KEVIN MAZUR]

Arena staff took some time to open the doors as the crowd scrambled to leave the hot and stuffy halls around 10 p.m. But a rush of cool air blew against concertgoers' flushed faces when they were finally expelled into the night. Bursts of oohs and ahs broke out, and people jumped into the rain that had grown stronger over the show’s 100 minutes. Autumn had arrived, and, like our eager American starlet, we had all turned another page.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]