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Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘SOUR’ Turns 4: Here Are the Major Records It Achieved

Four years ago today, on May 21, 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her debut album SOUR—a project that quickly became one of the biggest pop albums in recent memory. At just 18 years old, Olivia introduced herself with a collection of heartfelt ballads that resonated deeply with listeners, earning widespread acclaim and industry recognition. She worked…

InMusic

May 21, 2025

Four years ago today, on May 21, 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released her debut album SOUR—a project that quickly became one of the biggest pop albums in recent memory. At just 18 years old, Olivia introduced herself with a collection of heartfelt ballads that resonated deeply with listeners, earning widespread acclaim and industry recognition. She worked closely with Dan Nigro to bring the album to life, which was originally intended to be an EP.

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Several tracks had a significant impact. The lead single, “Drivers License,” amassed billions of streams and won Best Pop Solo Performance at the 64th GRAMMY Awards. It also topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Olivia the first female artist since Carrie Underwood to debut at No. 1 with her first single. The song also broke Spotify’s record for the most one-day streams for a non-holiday track. This level of success continued with follow-up singles “Deja Vu” and “Good 4 U,” the latter becoming her second track to surpass 2 billion streams.

SOUR debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and quickly became the most-streamed album by a female artist in Spotify history, with over 14.8 billion streams to date. Its impact was solidified when Olivia won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2022.

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Remarkably, all 11 tracks on SOUR have been certified Platinum or higher by the RIAA, making it one of only two albums to achieve this feat. Additionally, seven of its songs have each surpassed one billion streams on Spotify—a record for any album.

Beyond streaming milestones, SOUR spent 55 weeks in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the longest run for a debut album in U.S. history. It also reached No. 1 in 19 countries, including the UK, and topped Apple Music charts in over 100 territories. In Ireland, it holds the record for the longest-running No. 1 debut album by a female artist, staying atop the charts for 21 consecutive weeks. Critically acclaimed, SOUR was featured on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” highlighting its enduring influence on pop music.

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