Donning a form-fitting white baby tank top on stage in Los Angeles, megaphone in hand, it was clear that pop star Olivia Rodrigo had one message to get across at the ‘Guts World Tour’ on Tuesday: Vote.
The ‘So American’ singer — who is known for supporting reproductive rights and survivors of gender-based violence — took her activism another step forward with her fashion statement at the Kia Forum, in front of a sold-out crowd of about 17,500 people.
In addition to her wardrobe choices, there were also tables throughout the venue where fans could register to vote, all while seeing their favorite artist live.
Supported by HeadCount, an organization that registers young people to vote at events like concerts and festivals, the singer’s official fan account also shared links encouraging fans to vote across social media.
While it’s not yet clear how many registrations this resulted in, Rodrigo has five more shows in Los Angeles in the coming days, which likely means she will continue these efforts.
In fact, it’s far from the first time she’s subtly swayed fans into voting. In 2022, the singer sported a bedazzled T-shirt reading “vote,” as well, just in time for the last midterm elections.
With a high-stakes election right around the corner, advocacy from stars like Rodrigo makes a real impact.
In 2022, Harry Styles helped HeadCount register a record-breaking 55,000 fans to vote (during a non-presidential election as a British pop star, no less). And in 2023, Vote.org recorded a surge of over 35,000 voter registrations when Taylor Swift encouraged fans to sign up via Instagram.
And if anyone has been following the Kamala Harris campaign, they’ll also likely hear the sweet serenades of artists like Charli XCX and Chappell Roan, whose feminist beats have become the soundtrack of election season.
As it turns out, fans of pop music are fans of democracy, too.
“I’d wear that tank top to the polls,” one fan wrote in response to a photo of Rodrigo on stage, posted to X (formerly Twitter) last night.
“Love that she uses her concerts to send great messages to fans,” another wrote on a Reddit post about the voter registration initiative. “Reproductive rights, voting rights. Go ahead Olivia!”
Indeed, Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good was also on full display at the L.A. stop of the ‘Guts World Tour,’ where a portion of proceeds from ticket sales went to support California-based organizations Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project and Access Reproductive Justice.
“We stan,” Access Reproductive Justice shared on its Instagram Stories, while posting about Rodrigo Tuesday night. “Thanks for the shout out… and thanks for supporting access to abortion care.”
While Rodrigo is certainly leading the charge for these issues, it’s her fans who will go on to carry the torch when the final encore ends and the last piece of confetti falls.
“Personally, if I had that kind of influence, I would be using it to talk about the things that are important to me and that are important to the world as a whole,” said 20-year-old San Jose resident — and Rodrigo fan — Ananya Bahugudumbi, in an interview with KQED.
Elected representatives, she went on to say, “should remember that the people who are voting for them are like the people here at this concert.”
Header image courtesy of X
