Olivia Rodrigo Heaps Praise On Gwen Stefani as “Prime Example” of a “True Artist”

Olivia Rodrigo is proving the old saying wrong that you should never meet your heroes. Rodrigo heaped praise on Gwen Stefani recently as part of a profile on Stefani for Nylon, where she lauded the No Doubt frontwoman for her creative growth and abilities.

“Gwen’s ability to evolve and explore different styles of music, songwriting and aesthetic while still remaining true to herself is incredibly inspiring,” said Rodrigo. “To me, she’s a prime example of an artist who defies stereotypes and preconceived boundaries and just makes stuff that she thinks is cool. If that’s not a true artist, I don’t know what is.”

Rodrigo discovered No Doubt’s 2000 album Return of Saturn at 15 years old, as mentioned in the profile, and her love for Gwen Stefani began.

“Gwen sang about being a woman moving about this world in detail that I had never before heard put to music,” Rodrigo explained. “She unapologetically sings about things ranging from wanting to make out with someone to fantasising about having a husband and kids. There’s so much heart in every word she says, and every song feels like it’s ripped from the diary of the coolest girl you know.”

[RELATED: Olivia Rodrigo Ends Madison Square Garden Concert With Special Performance Featuring Jewel]

Olivia Rodrigo Cites No Doubt as a Pivotal Influence, as Well as Depeche Mode and The Cure

While speaking with Vogue last year, Rodrigo mentioned No Doubt as a huge influence. She explained that her dad introduced her to a lot of the bands she continues to listen to and “all the bands he went to see when he was my age.” They saw Depeche Mode together, as well as The Cure, which makes sense for her “grunge, rock, and alternative” influences.

As for Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, the band is set to play Coachella 2024, reuniting for the first time in nine years for the festival. Fans are wondering what the band’s future will look like after Coachella, and Stefani recently shed some light on the subject.

“[Coachella is] going to be a really nice bow to tie on the relationship, because we were kids [when we met],” Stefani explained. “I already know what it’s going to feel like because we’re just so in sync when we’re onstage. It’s going to feel like riding a bike again. We’re going to be laughing, and we’re going to look at each other and go, ‘Oh my gosh — there you are.’”

Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA