Olivia Rodrigo carried the feminist singer-songwriter torch into a new era with a benefit concert that raised $20 million for women’s health and well-being, according to the Associated Press.
Following in the footsteps of her ’90s musical forebears, Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields brought a mix of female superstars that included rapper Doechii, queer pop star Chappell Roan, punk pioneers Bikini Kill and the queen of Lilith Fair herself, Sarah McLachlan, who founded the all-women fest that served as the inspiration for Saturday’s show.
Attendees and concert partners said threats against women’s health are just as, if not more so, dire today than they were decades ago.
“At a time when decisions about our bodies, our health, our safety and our futures are being made for us not by us, a day built around care and community is its own kind of statement,” said Sonya Passi, founder of FreeFrom, a partner organization that aims to eliminate gender-based violence.
Before the “Drop Dead” singer, whose album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love came out in June, even took the stage in Irvine, California, she announced the show had already raised $10 million for 10 nonprofits — including Planned Parenthood, Black Mamas Matter Alliance and National Women’s Law Center.
During a surprise appearance at the start of Rodrigo’s set, Melinda French Gates announced she would donate another $10 million through her philanthropy fund.
Festival attendees could learn more about the partner organizations such as Planned Parenthood and National Domestic Workers Alliance at different booths, and they were also treated to an art installation by the Guerilla Girls, an anonymous art collective that uses cheeky visual imagery and humor to tackle sexism and racism. The collective invited fans to post messages on a chalkboard, which included “PROTECT QUEER KIDS!” and “Put women in charge and pay us more!”
Rodrigo has channeled rage and heartbreak about modern love in the Gen Z age into her songs. The 23-year-old singer said the festival gives her hope despite the “regression of women’s rights today,” according to the AP.
“That’s actually why I fell in love with the name ‘Daisy Chain,’” she said Friday. “It served as a reminder of how individual parts can come together to create something strong and unbreakable.”
