Olivia Rodrigo scores an historic "first" for being named Billboard's Woman of the Year

Filipina American artist Olivia Rodrigo just made history as the first Asian American artist to be named Billboard magazine's Woman of the Year. The distinction puts her in the same league as Lady Gaga and her idol, Taylor Swift.  

The award from the influential music industry publication, which has honored other White, Black, and Latina artists since 2007, went to Rodrigo for her major impact on audiences with her "unique voice" throughout 2021.

“Olivia’s trajectory to superstardom is the stuff of pop music legend,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director, in a statement. “Her talents as a storyteller and songwriter have made Olivia one of the most authentic and exciting new artists to explode onto the scene in years. Connecting with audiences across generations through emotionally charged songs about heartbreak, jealousy and growing up, she’s achieved absolutely incredible chart success for a debut artist. 

"We are thrilled to celebrate her unique voice and the enormous impact she’s had on fans around the globe in such a short time.” 

Outside of the hardcore fans of Disney's High School Musical bubble, few people had heard of Olivia until early January last year whe her breakout single, "Drivers License," smashed streaming records. The hit also made Olivia the first female artist to have a song debut at No. 1 since Lauryn Hill in 1998, which happened five years before Olivia was even born.

Although known for her songs of heartbreak, Olivia Rodrigo is a rocker.

The song also won MTV Video Music Award for Song of the Year. The artist herself was named best new artist by MTV and received the same honor in the American Music Awards.

Olivia's exploration of heartache, jealousy and insecurity on her debut album "SOUR" broke streaming records  debuting at No. 1 and led to all 11 tracks landing in the top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the first female artist to achieve the feat.

Olivia, her hit "Driver's License" and album "SOUR" was nominated in seven categories for Grammys, which will be announced in April ceremonies.

The young singer's first concert tour this Spring to more than 40 major cities across North America and Europe has been sold out since the concert dates were first announced last year.

The 18-year-old singer/songwriter hasn't shied away from her ethnicity. She opened up about being in the spotlight as an Asian American woman in an interview with V Magazine in August 2021. "I sometimes get DMs from little girls being like, 'I've never seen someone who looked like me in your position,'" she told the outlet. "And I'm literally going to cry, like, just thinking about it. I feel like I grew up never seeing that. Also it was always like, 'Pop star,' that's a white girl."

DISNEY

Olivia Rodrigo's Disney character, left, with her onscreen lola.

Olivia has been open about her ethnic heritage. Three years ago, during her time acting on Bizaardvark, she participated in a Disney Channel Asian Pacific American Heritage month television campaign. She speaks about her great-grandfather immigrating from the Philippines and her family preserving traditions, such as eating her grandmother’s lumpias, declaring to the camera, “I am an Asian Pacific Islander.”

Her High School Musical character, Nini Salazar-Roberts, is the daughter of an interracial queer couple. Her character’s song “Out of the Old” on the Disney+ series is directly inspired by a Thanksgiving day conversation Nini has with her lola—her Filipina grandmother—about her experiences starting over after immigrating to the United States.

Spending most of her early career on TV sets -- meaning she doesn't have that public school experience -- Olivia is refreshingly aware of the world outside of Disney's make-believe world.

She spoke up about the "model minority myth" Asian Americans experience in conversation with Nylon in May 2021. She explained the myth as the "untrue idea that, 'Oh, well, we're Asian people and immigrants and we're doing fine. Why can't other disenfranchised groups be like us?'"

The singer said that the misconception is "BS" considering the hardships of all disenfranchised ethnic groups. "It's something I'm constantly still reminding myself of, and educating myself on, and I'll never stop," Rodrigo shared with Nylon.

It is obvious to see that Olivia is of mixed racial heritage and she could easily have "white passed," if she chose to remain racially ambiguous as some other artists have done to supposedly advance their careers. However, Olivia's open recognition of her own racial heritage has drawn fans from throughout Asian America, beyond the Filipino American community.

INSTAGRAM

A young Olivia Rodrigo celebrates a graduation with her parents.

Helen Li writes for Marie Claire: "Sometimes, I look at photos of her and suddenly see the more 'Asian' side of her. I get excited whenever she posts about her best friends, co-star and 'soulmate' Madison Hu and musical artist Conan Gray (who is half-Japanese), because I know that they are Asian American too. I am a Han-Chinese American; I’m not even Filipina. Sometimes, I feel that I am projecting too much onto Olivia Rodrigo. I know that we, as humans, can’t just put all of our faith into one artist or songwriter to represent us, just like how we cannot put all of our faith into a single politician to become our savior.

"Perhaps my obsession with Rodrigo is just a phase, but that does not negate what is an underlying truth: If someone can ignore the fact that Olivia Rodrigo is an Asian American, then they probably already have the privilege of seeing themselves successfully in the media. They do not have to reach nor grab for representation. Her identity should not matter, but it does. And that reveals how much farther we have to go."

Clearly, Olivia's rising star has blasted off her Disney launching pad. Hopefully, she will be "representing" in the music industry, as a role model for AANHPI youngsters and for those who have felt erased or excluded for a long time. 

For the first time ever, tickets will be available to the public for the Women in Music Awards, with the general public invited to order theirs now here. To ensure the safety of all attendees and staff, Billboard will comply with all applicable COVID-19 federal, state and local laws for the 2022 Women in Music Awards. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AAPI perspective, follow me on Twitter @DioknoEd.