Shinedown’s Brent Smith has no problem with Olivia Rodrigo being called a rock star.
The vocalist joined an interview with Kyle Meredith and said after talking about rock musicians’ impact on the music world:
“I remember when earlier this year Olivia Rodrigo… She got nominated for a Grammy in the rock category. I’m waiting on the first active rock panel program director to add Olivia Rodrigo because it works both ways. I think that that is something that you’re going to see in the future where a lot of these formats start to embrace each other because it grows your audience.”
Smith Thinks Rodrigo’s Albums Have Heavy Elements
Meredith added after Smith’s words:
“I completely agree with that. I was one of the champions when that landed in the rock category. I said that’s a great rock record. She’s one of the biggest rock stars in the world right now as far as I’m concerned.”
Brent had a few other things to say about Rodrigo’s albums:
“By the way, if you go and you listen to the last two albums, there’s a ton of heavy guitar.”
The Singer Doesn’t Want Any Barrier In Music
In a chat with USA Today last year, Smith talked about the inclusivity of music again and discussed why they didn’t introduce their song, ‘A Symptom Of Being Human’ on rock radio:
“What makes ‘Symptom’ so unique is we decided not to work it at rock radio first. The goal was to start it at Hot Adult Contemporary with the foresight of moving it to the Top 40. For whatever reason, there is this mentality that a ‘rock’ band can’t be played on ‘this’ format because that’s not what they are. It should all be inclusive because, at the end of the day, it’s about the song and if the song is necessary to the public. We’re trying to open the door to young rock bands, too. Why is the barrier there?”
Critics described Rodrigo as a real rock star, when her Guts tour began in California. She has a pop background but still loves rock music and wants to add her own feminine touch while staying true to its storytelling. Her favorite band right now is Rage Against The Machine.
You can watch Smith’s full interview below.