Olivia Rodrigo Shares New Covers of Avril Lavigne and Veruca Salt at Sour Tour

Olivia Rodrigo kicked off her first solo tour in support of her award-winning debut album, Sour. The 11-track record won big at the Grammys, scoring the “Drivers License” hitmaker 3 Grammys: Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Olivia Rodrigo performed in Portland on Tuesday night to celebrate her debut album, Sour. The record was a massive hit, but extremely short, totaling just 34:41. As anticipation continued to build, many fans were left wondering how the singer could put on a long-lasting show given the record’s short run time.

It is no secret that Rodrigo is a fan of powerful, alternative, pop-punk musicians. She has sought inspiration from various artists of that iconic period in the nineties, beginning with Hole frontwoman, Courtney Love. SOUR Prom: The Concert Film was largely inspired by Hole’s second studio album, Live Through This in 1994.

Olivia Rodrigo’s new promo pics are giving me very much Hole’s Live Through This album cover and I’m here for it!<3 pic.twitter.com/ER33Co9N2A

— Annette (@annettelourdess) June 25, 2021

Rodrigo has also voiced her appreciation for Alanis Morissette. The duo appeared on Rolling Stone‘s “Musicians on Musicians” special. She writes, “What an absolute honor. I have looked up to Alanis’s honesty, vulnerability, and genius for years. Meeting her and experiencing her grace and passion in person was an experience I’ll never forget.”

Instead of covering one of these incredible artists, it still came as no surprise that she ultimately decided to reimagine Avril Lavigne’s hit single, “Complicated,” off her debut album, Let Go, released in 2002, before Rodrigo was even born. Before covering the iconic track, the “Brutal” singer called Lavigne by her nickname: The Pop-Punk Princess.

pop punk never dies pic.twitter.com/Q60DCct1H9

— brittany spanos (@ohheybrittany) April 6, 2022

Rodrigo reimagined another classic alternative-rock band of the 90s: Veruca Salt. She introduced the band’s 1994 hit song, “Seether” off the record, American Thighs. She thanked her mom for introducing her to the band ahead of her surprising rendition.

We’ve been belting out #brutal and #good4u in the car nonstop for the past year. This made our day, @oliviarodrigo 💕🧡💛 #seether #OliviaRodrigo #verucasalt #sourtour #SOURTourPortland pic.twitter.com/dtj7s1xEB7

— Veruca Salt (@verucasalt) April 6, 2022

For more nineties nostalgia, many reported Fiona Apple’s “Criminal,” The Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” The Breeders’ “Cannonball,” The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps,” and Michelle Branch’s “Everywhere” playing over the PA prior to Rodrigo taking the stage.

Congratulations to Olivia Rodrigo on an exciting opening night. The Sour Tour consists of a whopping 48 shows, lasting from April 5-July 7. Sour is available to stream on all major music platforms.