NEWS
Olivia Rodrigo
Louis Browne*Olivia Rodrigo is capping a blockbuster year with the broadcast of her Austin City Limits set — and before it airs on PBS, Billboard is premiering her ACL performance of “drivers license,” the song that started a successful year of firsts for the singer/songwriter.
“This is the first song I ever put out, and it’s really special to me, so sing along if you know it,” the 18-year-old says in front of a grand piano before launching into the heart-wrenching breakup track.
During the performance, the camera cuts to the audience full of Rodrigo’s young fans mouthing the lyrics to the song. The fans can be heard chiming in to sing the song’s now-iconic chorus — “And I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one/ And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone/ Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me/ ‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street.”
Rodrigo’s appearance at the Austin City Limits music festival — which took place on Oct. 2 — marked her first full-set live performance and official debut at the concert series, where she performed a total of eight tracks from her debut album, Sour. Rodrigo also performed with an all-female band, a first for ACL.
Rodrigo’s Austin City Limits performance premieres Saturday on PBS (check your local listings). Rodrigo shares the episode with Phoebe Bridgers, who also made her ACL debut this year. The second half of season 47 of Austin City Limits will continue starting Jan. 8.
Watch Rodrigo perform “drivers license” below.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
