Natalie Imbruglia on Olivia Rodrigo's Support: "She's Allowed Me to Still Have a Career"

Australian singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia has spoken to NME about being invited onstage by Olivia Rodrigo in London in 2022 to perform her 1997 classic "Torn" together — and why the moment, and the covers that followed, have meant more to her career than she initially expected.

Beyond Olivia Rodrigo: a run of Gen Z endorsements

Imbruglia said Rodrigo's invitation introduced her to a new generation of listeners: "I'm so grateful for that co-sign, she's a great songwriter. A lot of young people might not know who I am at all."

Rodrigo isn't the only one. Gracie Abrams and Camila Cabello both performed "Torn" during their respective 2025 Australian tours, and in March 2026, Dua Lipa covered the song at her Melbourne show. Imbruglia said she has personally messaged each of them to say thanks: "Because of them, I still get to have a career."

She also reflected on how isolating it felt starting out in the industry without that kind of support: "I didn't have many people that I admired and looked up to supporting me, so I know what that feeling is like going into the industry."

Other highlights from the interview

The interview took the form of a Q&A covering several career memories. Imbruglia confirmed that in the Netflix series The Crown's sixth season, in the episode "Willsmania," Prince Charles (played by Dominic West) is shown saying he likes "Torn" — something Imbruglia called a career highlight.

She also recalled forming a one-off trio with Kylie Minogue and Sinéad O'Connor in 1999, billed as "A Tramp, A Drunk and An Unfit Mother," to provide backing vocals for Dave Stewart on TFI Friday.

Toward the end of the interview, Imbruglia confirmed she's currently working on a new album titled Algorithm, though no release details have been announced yet.