Avril Lavigne introduced Olivia Rodrigo at an awards ceremony with a gushing speech, praising the singer for helping to revive “rock ‘n’ roll in the charts.”
The pop punk royalty presented Rodrigo – part of the return of the genre to the mainstream – with the Songwriter of the Year award at the Variety Hitmakers Brunch in Los Angeles over the weekend.
“This year we were introduced to a new artist whose debut album marked a major return for rock ‘n’ roll in the charts,” she said in her introduction. “From ‘Driver’s License’ to ‘Good 4 You’ to ‘Deja Vu’, Olivia’s singles from her album Sour are part of the collective psyche of 2021, and she wrote every single one of them.”
After accepting the award, Rodrigo discussed her passion for songwriting. “I’ve been writing songs since I was like five-years-old and my favourite part about all of this is that feeling of writing a song that perfectly captures how I feel better than any conversation could have,” she revealed. “So to accept an award for songwriting is really meaningful to me.”
Rodrigo also added that was “beyond a dream come true” to have so many people from all walks of life and backgrounds, regardless of their gender or sexuality, identify with her music.
Elsewhere at the Variety awards show, Lana Del Rey gave an emotional speech about an awful early record label deal that she almost signed, while Jack Harlow credited Harry Potter for making him the writer he is today.
Not content to watch rising stars like Rodrigo from the sidelines, Lavigne released her new single ‘Bite Me’ last month, produced by Travis Barker. It’s the lead single from her upcoming seventh studio album.
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Check out Avril Lavigne presenting Olivia Rodrigo with the Songwriter of the Year award:
