How Gwen Stefani Inspires Olivia Rodrigo’s Songwriting

How does Gwen Stefani inspire Olivia Rodrigo's songwriting?

On Thursday (Feb. 11), the "driver's license" singer spoke about her songwriting inspiration during an appearance on The Travis Mills Show.

During the interview, Rodrigo revealed that the reason the No Doubt lead singer is one of her favorite songwriters is because Stefani isn't afraid to tell a personal story that details her most private desires and thoughts, something that only a few artists truly do.

"I love No Doubt. I think that Gwen Stefani is one of my favorite songwriters ever," Rodrigo said. "She's so honest."

Rodrigo referenced No Doubt's song "Simple Kind of Life," which was released in 2000 when Stefani was 31 and dating Gavin Rossdale, as one of her favorite tracks. The song reveals Stefani's yearning to start a family while feeling conflicted with her band duties. Stefani wrote the song by herself.

"Even in this song, she's like, 'I always thought I'd be a mom.' I'm like, 'Who says that?' That's so great," Rodrigo shared. "But everyone thinks it, but nobody always just has the intelligence to put it in a song I guess. And she does it. She's just so brutally honest and emotional and I'm obsessed with her. So this is one of my favorite No Doubt tracks."

It's no surprise that Rodrigo's debut single "driver's license" is similar to Stefani's emotional writing style, as it tells a relatable, straightforward and intimate story that pulls listeners in.

As for other artists she admires, Rodrigo grew up listening to Taylor Swift, who she hopes to learn from in the future. "I mean, I would just love to just be in a studio with Taylor [Swift]. I don't even have to write with her, I just want to watch how she does it because I just think she's such a genius." Besides learning from either Stefani or Swift, Rodrigo would love to write a song with Phoebe Bridgers or Kid LAROI.