Olivia Rodrigo got her driver’s license and drove all the way to the 2021 MTV VMAs. Still riding the high of her acclaimed debut album, SOUR, the 18-year-old Disney star-turned-pop phenom made her debut at the awards show by ripping through her pop-punk breakup anthem, “good 4 u.”
Rodrigo descended to the stage decked out in a frilly miniskirt, Dr. Martens, and lace-up gloves, rocking out among her backup dancers as confetti poured over Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. She brought plenty of fury and spunk, too, ending the track on a bang by punching the “camera” in front of her, shattering the “lens.”
Check out Rodrigo’s performance on the VMAs stage below.
“good 4 u” was up for a VMA as well, earning a nod in the Best Pop Song category alongside Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, BTS, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, and Taylor Swift. Rodrigo also nabbed nominations for Artist of the Year, Best New Artist, and Push Performance of the Year. Rodrigo claimed the first award of the night, taking home Song of the Year for “drivers license.”
Rodrigo’s first live performance of “good 4 u” was when she took the stage as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live back in May. She recently added Paramore to the track’s songwriting credits, having taken inspiration from the band’s “Misery Business.”
.@Olivia_Rodrigo just left her mark on the #VMAs stage with that incredible performance of "good 4 u" pic.twitter.com/gFjLNwaipz
— Video Music Awards (@vmas) September 13, 2021