Olivia Rodrigo reflects on whirlwind year since release of 'Drivers License'

By Megan Stone

Olivia Rodrigo is still processing the year she's had, from the release of her first single, her first album and and scoring multiple Grammy nominations.

In a new interview with Apple Music 1's Zane Lowe, the 18-year-old pop star reflected on how much her life has changed since releasing her debut single, "Drivers License" on Jan. 8, 2021.

While Rodrigo said it's "pretty amazing" to have suddenly gone from just being known for the Disney+ series "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" to one of the biggest singers of 2021, she still hasn't "really processed that sort of immediacy."

Although she said she doesn't believe "my success, by any means, was overnight"," she did admit, "My whole life is just like changing in an instant."

Rodrigo said releasing her debut album "Sour" in May is what started to help her adjust to her newfound fame.

"I remember there was a distinct moment in my life when that album went from something that was really depressing and sad to me to something that represented like triumph and that was really special," she explained.

Rodrigo said what she remembers most in that standout moment was "smiling and feeling such intense joy and like pride in like the work that I created."

The teen ends the year having scored seven Grammy nominations -- including album of the year, record of the year, song of the year, best new artist and more. The 2022 ceremony is set to take place on on Jan. 31.