WASHINGTON – For her third major tour, Olivia Rodrigoliterally brought herself some well-deserved flowers.
Her inverted-horseshoe-shaped stage looks like the setting of a Laura Ashley ad campaign inspired by a Martha Stewart garden – and it’s the most perfect backdrop Rodrigo could have envisioned.
Her exuberance from the moment she emerged from this pastel-colored field of dreams to belt her delectable chart-topper “Drop Dead” defined infectious and didn’t subside for two hours at her Oct. 4 concert at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., the second of two sold-out shows at the venue.
As Rodrigo frolicked in her girly white frock, she batted her Bambi eyes at every nearby camera and relished the giddiness of fresh love in "U + Me = <3," strapped
on a pink electric guitar (which, unlike many of her pop star peers, she actually plays) for the tour debut of “Love is Embarrassing” and strode through her bloomy wonderland for “Good 4 U,” injecting its sugar coating with a spurt of bile.
This Unraveled Tour, barely in its second week, is an early career zenith for Rodrigo – and just might be the best live show of the year.
Olivia Rodrigo tour spotlights confidence and a melting dress
Only about two years removed from her Guts World Tour, Rodrigo, now at the ripe age of 23, has noticeably matured as a performer and singer. Her confidence was palpable, whether pogoing with unfettered glee during “My Way,” high-kicking in her checkerboard Vans during “Bad Idea, Right?” or strumming her guitar with intimate backlighting her only visual accompaniment for “Traitor.”
Her show is staged through seasons, accompanied by outfit changes including the dress that dissolves in a rain shower during “The Cure.” It’s a cool touch, but hardly a revolution, especially considering the song – one of the best on her current album, “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So In Love” – could be just as affecting if performed in jeans and a T-shirt.
Rodrigo has wisely accepted the tutelage of forebears including Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks and learned that a key to longevity is authenticity. Her late-night diary entries set to music, highlighted as she sat behind a baby grand piano and smeared “Cigarette Smoke” with a woozy ache, are packed with relatable heartaches and joys and usually spiked with deft melodies.
Rodrigo’s voice, which could veer into shrieky territory during some performances, easily segued from snarling bitterness to hushed prettiness. She climbed octaves in “Stupid Song” as she walked the floor of the arena, posing with hordes of female fans as she strolled, and simmered during “Vampire.”
Olivia Rodrigo's tour is executed to creative perfection
Joining Rodrigo on this emotional roller coaster romp is her extraordinary five-piece band (joined on a few songs by a violinist and celloist) and three backup singers. Drummer Jordi Radnoti walloped through the grunge rocking “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” while guitarist Arianna Powell dropped a searing solo into “Bad Idea, Right?” But the entire team was locked in to Rodrigo’s engrossing rock-tinged pop.
The Unraveled Tour is Rodrigo’s creative vision executed to perfection. Audience-friendly staging – she makes appearances on a B-stage (that rain shower/dress), a mini-stage at the back of the arena and behind her piano at the edge of the main stage – is complemented by a crescent-shaped video screen that picks up every one of her winking smiles and plaintive lyric deliveries.
The young superstar will perform 86 shows through North America and Europe through next spring, including 10 shows each in Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles – and this is a show built for durability. (Her opener through the end of October, British critical darlings Wolf Alice, offers a 35-minute set of robust, punky pop that shares a notable vibe with Rodrigo’s music.)
As Rodrigo acknowledged through her staging, seasons change. So do pop fads. But unshakable melodies, heartfelt lyrics and talent are eternal.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olivia Rodrigo’s Unraveled tour might be 2026’s best | Review
