The dropout of presumptive opener PinkPantheress helped further prove that this was the case – because it was made obvious that the crowd didn’t need any warming up, unleashing deafening screams at the first test puff of smoke indicating the show was on its way to beginning. Opening with the grungy smash hit “bad idea right?”, it should have immediately erased the doubt in any dad dragged along with their kids – unaware that their 10-year-old daughter was about to echo the former Disney star’s litany of F-bombs – that Rodrigo wasn’t fit to lead the charge of the pop-punk resurgence.

Performing nearly every one of her songs across her first two albums, it was Rodrigo’s first arena tour, even though she easily could have done one earlier. Inheriting the space with ease, she played to the cameras like no other with a series of cheeky smiles and winks – and crazy eyes, when running through one of the tracks where she pokes fun at her own neurotic approach to romance. There’s been a lot of online fanfare about Rodrigo’s awkward dance during “love is embarrassing,” a track where she wonders why she puts herself through so much to please inevitably awful guys, but that kind of goofy relatability is exactly what makes most of her songs connect so well. With an inventive set piece where she rode past every section around a track, sitting on a crescent moon and waving to her congregation, she let them know that she cared about that connection, too.

While the rock tunes are a lot of fun – and prove why a “PUNKS 4 OLIVIA” sign could be spotted in the crowd – a back-to-back triple-whammy of emotionally crushing tracks “vampire,” “traitor” and “drivers license” is where we saw her truly shine. Accompanying Rodrigo’s pristine, emotive vocals, the first-heartbreak catharsis of a sold-out crowd, especially on that impeccable “drivers license” bridge, was one of the most powerful concert moments this frequent concert-attendee had ever seen.

At one point, a recording was played of a five-year-old Rodrigo playing pretend, imagining being nervous, but ready, to perform in front of a huge crowd. Being able to flip from the absolute desolation of a track like “lacy” to the smiliest cry of “Vancouver are you having fun?” is why she’s such a successful pop (and rock) star — and why she knew it from the beginning.