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Celebrating Independence: The 2024 Libera Awards Shine a Spotlight on Independent Music

June 22, 2024

The 2024 Libera Awards, held on June 11 at Gotham Hall, marked a significant celebration of the vibrant and diverse achievements in independent music. Presented by the American Association of...

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Khalid: The Voice of a New Generation

June 22, 2024

Khalid Donnel Robinson, known simply as Khalid, has become a defining voice of his generation with his soulful voice, relatable lyrics, and genre-blending sound. Since his breakthrough with the hit...

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Shakira Recalls Putting Her Music Career on Hold to Support Gerard Piqué’s Pro Soccer Dreams

June 21, 2024

Two years after her split from Gerard Piqué, Shakira has achieved significant milestones, including four major hits and a VMAs Vanguard Award, while preparing to release her next album, Las Mujeres...

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Selena Gomez, Ryan Gosling and More Celebrities Reveal Favorite Taylor Swift Era or Song

June 21, 2024

Taylor Swift's songwriting prowess has garnered admiration from numerous celebrities, who each hold special attachments to different tracks from her extensive catalog. Ryan Gosling, for instance...

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Celine Dion's Battle with Stiff Person Syndrome: A Legendary Voice in Turmoil

June 21, 2024

Celine Dion, one of the most iconic voices in the music industry, has faced a series of health challenges in recent years that have significantly impacted her singing career. Known for her powerful...

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Exploring Don Toliver’s New Universe: 'Hardstone Psycho' Album and Fortnite Game Launch

June 21, 2024

Don Toliver, the Houston-born maestro of atmospheric melodies and genre-blending soundscapes, is once again redefining the boundaries of music and immersive experiences with his latest album...

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Sabrina Carpenter's Meteoric Rise: 'Please Please Please' and the Surge of a Pop Phenomenon

June 21, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of pop music, Sabrina Carpenter is a name that’s resonating louder with each passing day. This week, Billboard's Trending Up newsletter highlights Carpenter's...

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Selena Gomez Reveals She May Retire From Music After Her Next Album

June 21, 2024

Selena Gomez has again raised the possibility of stepping away from the music industry, less than three years after contemplating retirement. During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast with...

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The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ Is Back

June 21, 2024

Throughout 2024, The Beatles have been consistently appearing and reappearing on the Billboard charts, with their presence often varying by week and by album. While the legendary band often charts...

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Badshah: The King of Indian Hip-Hop

June 21, 2024

Badshah, born Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia on November 19, 1985, has emerged as one of the most influential figures in the Indian music industry. Known for his unique style that blends hip-hop with...

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David Bowie’s Debut Album: A Groundbreaking Reissue

June 21, 2024

David Bowie's self-titled debut album, an essential piece of music history, is set to captivate old and new fans alike with its upcoming groundbreaking reissue. This fresh take on Bowie’s early...

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'Dopamine': Normani's Electrifying Debut

June 21, 2024

Normani is ready to take the music world by storm with her highly-anticipated debut solo album, Dopamine. The singer, who first rose to fame as a member of Fifth Harmony, revealed the album's track...

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The Shadow of Sour Writing “Vampire” by Olivia Rodrigo

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The mastermind behind the overwhelmingly successful album, Sour, the 20-year-old Olivia Rodrigo comes back into the spotlight with a new heartwrenching single, ‘Vampire’ and the announcement of her upcoming album ‘Guts’. 

As the expected sophomore album Guts slowly approaches, many people have been taking note of the difficulty that Olivia will face to top her previous work on Sour. Sour debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the biggest opening in 2021 for an album at the time. In addition, it secured Olivia three Grammy wins in 2022.

Olivia discusses the pressure and anxiety that she faced with the success of Sour and the expectations that she had to live up to during the early stages of writing Guts. She mentions that it’s an unhealthy mindset to constantly think about outperforming ‘Drivers License’ or Sour. Instead, she focuses on writing music she herself would love to hear on the radio and chooses to accept everything else is out of her control, including the success of her work. 

With all that said, Vampire is currently occupying the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, with over 100 million streams on Spotify, and continues Olivia’s streak as one of this generation's greatest songwriters. 

Writing Vampire really helped Olivia sort through a lot of “regret, anger and heartache”, things she was trying to express for a long time. Vampire isn’t just about something surface-level like someone hurting Olivia, but rather the regret she faced for going along while knowing that something wasn’t going to turn out great. 

Listen to Vampire on music streaming platforms, and check out the music video for Vampire on Youtube.