Olivia Rodrigo is an actress and singer best known for her work on Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and debut album, Sour. Her first single, “Driver’s License,” was an instant hit and one of the most popular songs of 2021, earning her a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
Rodrigo has also received countless nominations and wins for her work, including a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Album for Sour and a Grammy for Best Solo Pop Performance in 2021. Her pop/rock sound and talent for storytelling through her songs have helped her shoot to fame, along with her newest album release, Guts, in 2023.
With her work both on musical shows and in the industry, it’s no surprise Rodrigo’s songs have been featured in numerous productions. Here are the top ten movies and TV shows with Olivia Rodrigo songs, ranked.
9 “brutal” – The Imperfects
The Netflix science fiction series The Imperfects follows three Seattle residents, Tilda, Juan, and Abby, who gained superpowers after receiving experimental genetic therapy during their childhoods.
The three have been able to keep their powers at bay with the help of medicine throughout their lives but are now facing the repercussions of the treatments. They decide to track down Dr. Sarkov, the physician responsible for the superpowers, with the help of a scientist, Dr. Sydney Burke. It’s an upbeat show that feels similar to a Marvel film with an added touch of teen angst.
Rodrigo’s song “brutal” is featured in the show’s Season 1 opener, “Sarkov’s Children.” It can be heard during a scene where Tilda is having a phone conversation and is the perfect background to accompany the world and character development during this episode.
8 “brutal” – The Power
The Power is an Amazon Prime British science fiction series starring Toni Collette and Toheeb Jimoh. The show is based on a novel of the same name by author Naomi Alderman and tells a story of our world where teenage girls develop incredible superpowers, allowing them to electrocute people at will.
Viewers learn about characters across the globe as they inherit their powers and start to encourage women of all ages to find their inner strength. It’s somewhat of a slow-burn show, but the talented cast and complex characters make this show an enjoyable watch.
“Brutal” is also featured in the Season 1 opener of The Power titled “A Better Future is in Your Hands.” The high-energy song plays during this episode as viewers are introduced to characters across the world, including Seattle, London, and Nigeria. Season 1 of The Power has nine episodes, but there has been no official confirmation of a second season.
7 “brutal” – Do Revenge
Do Revenge is a 2022 black comedy from Netflix loosely based on the 1951 Alfred Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train. The movie stars Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Michelle Gellar in this Gen Z take on Mean Girls. The plot follows two friends, Drea (Mendes) and Eleanor (Hawke), who work together to get revenge on their bullies. It’s a classic trope that seems predictable, but this movie is able to stand among the similar films released in the late ’90s.
This is another production featuring “brutal” from Rodrigo, bringing energy and angst to Eleanor’s introduction scene. With the powerful lyrics and heavy guitar, it gives viewers an idea of her character’s personality and backstory.
6 “brutal” – The School for Good and Evil
Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil is a fantasy movie that follows two friends, Sophie and Agatha, who are sent to a magical school called the School for Good and Evil. Here, future superheroes and villains are trained to keep the order of good and evil in the world.
Once the two friends arrive at the school, they are sent to separate schools, one good and one evil. The school’s headmaster informs them the only way for Sophie to get into the School for Good is “true love’s kiss.” It’s a movie that incorporates classic fairy tale lore with some modern concepts.
Rodrigo’s “brutal” plays alongside the girls waking up at their new schools and shows them going through their new daily routine. It focuses mostly on Agatha as she goes through her day beside the strangely robotic students and feels out of place without her best friend by her side.
5 “good 4 u” – One Of Us Is Lying
One Of Us Is Lying is a drama series from Peacock based on the novel by Karen M. McManus. The show follows five students who are sentenced to detention, but only four make it out alive. Simon, a student with an online gossip website about other students, is the victim, and each of the others has a valid reason to kill him. This unleashes an investigation into what happened to Simon and which of the four students is lying about the murder.
“Good 4 u” is one of two Olivia Rodrigo songs featured in the series (the other being “brutal”). “Good 4 u” is featured in Season 1, Episode 6, “One Of Us Is Dancing.” Rodrigo’s songs are an ideal fit for this edge-of-your-seat mystery with twists and turns.
4 “brutal” – Super Pumped
Super Pumped is a TV series starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt based on the 2019 book Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac. The show’s first season goes through the development stages of the company Uber from the CEO Travis Kalanick’s perspective. It’s a real look into the ups and downs of a start-up company, though some of the dialogue is weak. The cast is star-studded, featuring Levitt, Uma Thurman, and Quentin Tarantino as the narrator.
“Brutal” plays during Season 1, Episode 5, “The Charm Offensive.” This particular scene shows Kalanick being questioned on why the company is struggling with female employment and sexual harassment. “Brutal” compliments this interaction and also focuses on the strong and revolutionary Susan Fowler.
3 “good 4 u” – Devil in Ohio
Netflix’s thriller series Devil in Ohio is the story of a psychiatrist, Dr. Suzanne Mathis (Emily Deschanel), who is passionate about her career. When Mae (Madeleine Arthur), a young girl, shows up at the hospital, she catches Dr. Mathis’ attention and ends up staying in her home while waiting for a foster placement. Unfortunately for Dr. Mathis, Mae is on the run from a dangerous cult, and only brings chaos to the Mathis family.
Rodrigo’s “good 4 u” is played briefly during Devil in Ohio while Mae is trying to flag down a car for help. As one of the cars speeds past her, viewers can hear the song playing from the driver’s radio. It’s a successful way to symbolize how out of touch Mae is with the world after being in the cult.
2 “traitor” – Gossip Girl
This Gossip Girl series is a sequel to the original show that aired on The CW from 2007 to 2012. The two are based on the novels by Cecily von Ziegesar that follow a group of high school-aged students attending school in New York City. The group is under the watchful eye of ‘Gossip Girl,’ an anonymous entity that runs a gossip blog.
The 2021 series has the same premise, except “Gossip Girl” now reports to readers across the world rather than just to the school. It aired for two seasons and 22 episodes before being canceled in early 2023.
Two of Rodrigo’s songs are featured in Gossip Girl, specifically “brutal” and “traitor.” These powerful songs accompany scenes that contain sensitive material, giving the episodes an edge and the level of suspense needed to keep viewers engaged. The use of “traitor” was especially clever given the issues around Julien’s dad in Season 1.
1 “1 step forward, 3 steps back” – The Summer I Turned Pretty
The Summer I Turned Pretty is a teen drama series on Amazon Prime Video that is based on a set of romance books by Jenny Han. The story follows the main character, Belly, as she and her family travel on their annual beach vacation to a town called Cousins Beach.
There, she meets up with family friends, The Fishers, and goes on to experience her first love, heartbreak, and navigating friendships. The show has two seasons and 15 episodes, with season three expected to debut in the summer of 2024.
The show features “1 step forward, 3 steps back” and “brutal” in Season 1, Episode 1, “Summer House.” These songs play as Bella texts Taylor about the night’s events at the end of the episode, as well as during the bonfire fight. Rodrigo’s songs are an excellent addition to this coming-of-age drama and help to build the tension around what’s to come for Belly during the summer.
