'Cathartic': In 90 minutes, Olivia Rodrigo gave thousands of women permission to tap into 'pure female rage'

REVIEW: A sea of purple bows, glitter stars and fishnet stockings descend on Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.

Ecstatic tweens wearing glitter eyeshadow and cheesy grins hold the hands of their purple-clad parents while friend groups squeal with excitement in matching sequin skirts. One duo have pinned L plates to their outfits – an ode to their idol's breakout song Drivers License. 

Inside, a purple haze floats across the stage and the air is thick with anticipation for Olivia Rodrigo to greet the crowd.

Watch the video above.

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Before tonight, I had seen moments online from Rodrigo's GUTS World Tour and, to be honest, I didn't quite understand all the hype.

But I was lucky enough to get my hands on some last-minute tickets and the second she stomped onto the stage in her chunky Doc Martin boots and glittery two-piece, I got it.

Far too often and in far too many scenarios, women and girls are told to be polite, bite their tongue and steer clear of prickly emotions like anger.

But for more than 90 minutes, an arena filled with tens of thousands of women and girls were given the express permission to let it all out – the heartbreak, the Jealousy and the unadulterated female rage.

And if anyone in the crowd had any reservations, the ferocity with which the pop princess launched into her 24-song set would have quickly knocked them away.

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As she sang the lyrics of her first song of the night Bad Idea Right?, Rodrigo bounced around the stage without a care in the world in a way that made the rest of the crowd feel comfortable to let loose.

Before the end of her first song, the entire arena was dancing and screaming the words with a similar carefree energy.

Then commenced what I can only describe as a very loud, very purple and very large group therapy session.

"Here's what I want, I want you up out of your seats, I want you to jump, I want you to scream and I want you to sing at the top of your lungs," Rodrigo requested as she welcomed us to the show. And that, we did.

Red lights flashed and a full moon glowed on the screen behind Rodrigo as she sang the heartbroken lyrics of Vampire. Two best friends standing behind me held each other's hands as they screamed along with her.

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Mascara smudged as teary-eyed fans watched Rodrigo take to a grand piano shrouded in purple lights to sing her heartbreak ballad Drivers License. The tears lingered when the crowd sang along to Teenage Dream and Pretty Isn't Pretty.

We grappled with green-eyed monsters as we screamed along to Jealousy and embraced pure rage as we jumped and screamed along to the likes of Good 4 U and Brutal.

All the while Rodrigo and her rockstar all-female band rocked out against a flaming backdrop, banging their heads like a '90s punk rock band.

At one point in the show, Rodrigo literally floated above the crowd on a purple moon among light up stars as she sang 1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back and Enough For You. From the moon, she also took a moment to check in with the crowd, a mid-therapy session debrief, if you will.

Then, towards the end of the show came a cathartic moment when during her song All-American Bitch, Rodrigo had a special request for the crowd.

She had all the lights shut off and asked the crowd to scream at the top of their lungs and "let it all out". The crowd obliged, bar a few dads who shielded their ears from the noise, and what followed was an eruption of near-deafening screams. 

It was incredible, as though in that moment, everyone in the arena chose to harness whatever rage they held inside them and allowed themselves to set it free.

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It also didn't feel like a coincidence that everyone in the room felt comfortable to do so. Every time Rodrigo addressed the crowd, she seemed genuinely thrilled to do so, waving and smiling at everyone she could see and thanking us almost every chance she got.

She also did it in style. Throughout the night, she had five outfit changes, including a glittery silver two-piece, a flaming red jumpsuit and a singlet she ended the show in that had the words "kiss my aussie" written across her chest in cheeky text.

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Every minute of the show was an emotional roller coaster in the best way possible and even though I don't consider myself a mega fan, every moment in the show brought out a different emotion in me.

When Rodrigo sang Pretty Isn't Pretty, I was transported back to a 15-year-old me, who was riddled with insecurities. Drivers License took me straight back to 19 and the throes of my first heartbreak and All I Want reminded me of a 24-year-old me who felt unlucky in love.

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After an emotional roller coaster, the therapy session – I mean, show – comes to a close with an explosion of confetti and the crowd, while exhausted, is abuzz with excitement.

Purple gemstones and feathers fall to the floor as the sea of purple bows, glitter stars and fishnet stockings slowly flows out from the arena. Friend groups reunite in the foyer while ecstatic tweens recount their favourite moments to mum and dad.

And it feels like we all make a collective sigh after such a cathartic experience.

This writer attended as a guest of Live Nation.