Olivia Rodrigo is ending her U.S. dates for the Guts World Tour with an artist who helped open them! On Tuesday night, Rodrigo welcomed Chappell Roan for a duet of the Midwest Princess‘ “Hot to Go!”
While speaking to the crowd gathered at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, Rodrigo introduced Roan as a “very special surprise guest” and teased she was she one of the most “inspiring, powerful artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” As Roan took to the stage in a sparkling corset, the singer announced, “We’re going to sing you a song and teach you a dance,” before diving into the hit track.
The duo took on the iconic chorus, linking arms and kicking out as they sang: “H-O-T-T-O-G-O/Snap and clap and touch your toes/Raise your hands, now body roll/Dance it out, you’re hot to go.” They also led the audience as the crowd performed the track’s signature dance.
Rodrigo was an early champion of Roan, well before she made waves for her performances over the last several months. During her Sour tour, Rodrigo welcomed Roan as an opener in San Francisco and tapped her again to open for her first 24 shows on the Guts World Tour run this year. (Roan also did backing vocals on Guts‘ “Lacy” and “Obsessed,” and the pair share producer Dan Nigro.)
“We all work out of the same studio and Dan [Nigro] is like ‘Are you free right now, can you come help?’“ Roan previously said about aiding Rodrigo. “So I go over there and sing harmonies cause it’s really nice on a song to have different tones. I love that [Olivia’s] open to having another vocalist; she’s so sweet to me.”
Rodrigo was also spotted at a Roan show back in August 2022. “I would be so down to collaborate if she wanted to, but honestly, whatever she’s up for,” Roan told People last year. “I don’t push for that type of stuff.”
Throughout her tour, Rodrigo has welcomed several special guests in different cities. Rodrigo welcomed Sheryl Crow for “If It Makes You Happy” in Nashville in March, Noah Kahan and Jewel during stops in New York City in April, and Lily Allen in London for a duet of “Smile.” She also performed “All Your’n” with Tyler Childers during her show in Lexington, Kentucky, in July.
Rodrigo has a knack for tapping on-the-rise openers, and her tours have introduced new stars to her massive audience. For the Guts run, she brought on Remi Wolf, PinkPantheress, and Benee, and she tapped Gracie Abrams and Holly Humberstone for her Sour trek.
Tuesday marked Rodrigo’s fifth of six consecutive sold-out shows in Los Angeles, which she celebrated with a weeklong Complex merch pop-up shop. It’s been a big week for Rodrigo, whose Sour became the first female album to ever reach 13 billion streams on Spotify. She’s set to end her U.S. run on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
After wrapping her shows in L.A., Rodrigo is set to travel to Asia for shows in Bangkok, Seoul, and Tokyo next month. She’ll visit Australia in October. Rodrigo kicked off her run of shows in Palm Springs in February.
“Rodrigo cemented her position in pop culture as a generation-defining artist. As a rockstar. And as an energy-filled idol that is only just beginning her career,” Rolling Stone wrote in a review of the tour.
From Rolling Stone US
