{"id":1933234,"date":"2026-05-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1933234"},"modified":"2026-05-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:00:00","slug":"wonderland-180","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1933234","title":{"rendered":"Wonderland"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\tWonderland<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tA SUMMER\u2019S EVE WITH THE LIVIES<\/span>
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As she becomes the latest superstar in the ranks of Spotify\u2019s Billions Club, Olivia Rodrigo plays an intimate Barcelona show to her most dedicated fans. Fandom never felt so pure, argues Ben Tibbits<\/h3>\n
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Images by Xavi Torrent<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I\u2019m fascinated by fandom. It\u2019s something that, as an individual who grew up primarily listening to 60s folk made by now dead people, and then anthem indie bangers from four blokes whose first name I barely knew, the world of pop culture and the stars that rule it barely touched me.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Until I moved to London, that is, and began working for a magazine that holds these supernovas at the centre. I recall being fairly new to the job; a boozy midweek, sat in the back of a cab on the way to a gig with a One Direction fan and a Taylor Swift fan. Until then, the concept of a \u2018fan\u2019 was closer to an appreciator or admirer, less an all-encompassing devotee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I, half jokingly, make my less-than-positive opinion regarding these artists known.\u00a0A foolish endeavour. I used to take joy in slandering the music of those deemed at the cusp of pop culture \u2013 as any pretentious music nerd would. But since, a sour taste in my mouth has developed. Hell hath no fury like the rage in that cab. The vehement gaze of these two new friends obliterated my empty-minded, judgmental musings, and I was forced to back away into a corner of silent retrospect. When it comes to arguing about their favourite artist, the fans always, always<\/em> win.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the years since, I\u2019ve grown to respect fandom. I\u2019ve never quite been swept up in its grasp (although I did have a period being mildly obsessed with Saya Gray), but I\u2019ve certainly been equidistant to its advances. From seeing K-pop stardom in the flesh to being up close and personal to the heat of BRAT, I feel well-equipped in understanding the nuances of parasocialism\u2019s sensibilities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, seeing firsthand the tidal wave of love for an individual, especially within the context of an intimate live show, is mind-blowing and oddly comforting. And so on a sunny Friday night in Barcelona, as Olivia Rodrigo stands in front of less than two thousand of her biggest fans \u2013 her \u2018Livies\u2019 \u2013 and belted out a set of her beloved bangers, everything feels right in the world.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Winding back a day earlier, late morning. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever been to Heathrow Terminal 4 before. I\u2019m a T5 merchant normally. T4 still has a Wetherspoons, although I don\u2019t have time to inspect its beauty, as I\u2019ve arrived rather late, and must mosey straight over to my gate and onto my plane to the ever-welcoming Barcelona.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is there a better city \u2013 for food, culture, sport, music? Certainly not this weekend. On Sunday, the city\u2019s football team\u2019s titanic rivals, Real Madrid, are in town for a title-deciding fixture, the El Cl\u00e1sico. But first, tomorrow, Friday, one of pop\u2019s brightest sparks of the 2020s, Olivia Rodrigo, will be the primary entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, you ask, why would triple Grammy-winning Californian megastar Rodrigo be playing to a Spanish amphitheatre of less than two thousand fans a month before the release of her third studio album, and an arena tour already confirmed for next year? Spotify, of course.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The streaming giant set the pace in more than just listening consumption. For years now, they\u2019ve been an official partner of Barcelona Football Club, placing iconic artists and their logos on the team\u2019s shirt<\/a> for a key fixture. Prior artists involved \u2013 members of Spotify\u2019s esteemed Billions Club (Olivia boasts nine songs with over a billion streams) \u2013 include The Rolling Stones, Travis Scott, Rosalia, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay.<\/p>\n

Those lucky few in attendance will be her most dedicated fans, invited only, selected through their Spotify listening habits. Oh, and a handful of press, of course. Someone has to philosophise about it, right?<\/p>\n

Touching down in Catalonia, I check in at the hotel \u2013 the delightful Grand Wyatt \u2013 and grab a sandwich (ciabatta, oven crispy, roast veggies and melted cheese\u2026 generational). After catching up on some emails, there\u2019s a pleasant evening drink on the hotel rooftop for the travelling party, accompanied by a small plate situ. Some of the meat dishes look mesmerising. Recent veggie regret knows no bounds.<\/p>\n

The next evening arrives, and I\u2019m putting on my smartest shirt and enjoying an espresso martini at the hotel. As late-afternoon becomes evening, we\u2019re escorted onto a school bus and driven to the outskirts of the city to the verdant Elysium of Teatre Grec, an amphitheatre in a garden overlooking the city from high. Out of the bus, we walk past a queue wrapping around the upward hill. It\u2019s the Livies, consisting of mostly teenagers and young adults, many in the shiny new Barca-Rodrigo merch. The excitement is palpable. Although some of them throw some shady looks in our direction. Like, who are these old people queue-jumping? It\u2019s a good question.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s some time to take in the gorgeous gardens before the concert kicks off. Punters queue for free tacos. The atmosphere is relaxed. Until, at the slightest inkling of noise from the amphitheater, the droves of staunch supporters dart towards the seats as close to the stage as possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I take a seat in the far left corner of the arena. A colosseum of pop. Rodrigo enters the blistering noise from Rodrigo\u2019s pantheon of unceasing admirers. The decibels carry to the ocean, I\u2019m sure.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The set itself is faultless. Easing through hits from her plucky 2021 debut, Sour<\/em> and its grungy 2023 follow-up, Guts<\/em>, as well as \u201cdrop dead\u201d, her new single and first glimpse into her forthcoming third studio album, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love<\/em>, set for release on 12th June. Her charisma flows well beyond the bounds of her current theatre; the crowd belongs to Olivia, and vice versa. There\u2019s a symbiosis between audience and artist that doesn\u2019t always happen; something infallible, intimate, and introspective. Spiritual. It\u2019s affecting.<\/p>\n

The set flies by. The crowd screams for one last time. I need a sit-down. Am I a newly appointed member of the Livies? I wouldn\u2019t go that far. But there\u2019s a real sense of community within the fanbase, and for an hour, thanks to Spotify and their ambition, I felt a small part of it. Nice one.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t13 May 2026\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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In The Spotlight<\/a><\/div>\n
Music<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tIs Dundee Fashion\u2019s Latest Capital?<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wonderland A SUMMER\u2019S EVE WITH THE LIVIES As she becomes the latest superstar in the ranks of Spotify\u2019s Billions Club, Olivia Rodrigo plays an intimate Barcelona show to her most dedicated fans. Fandom never felt so pure, argues Ben Tibbits Images by Xavi Torrent I\u2019m fascinated by fandom. It\u2019s something that, as an individual who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,257],"class_list":["post-1933234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-wonderlandmagazine-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933234","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1933234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933234\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1933234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1933234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1933234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}