Pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo is deep in the studio, hinting at her highly anticipated third album, while also joining a roster of major artists like Jarvis Cocker and Damon Albarn for "Help(2)," a new charity compilation for War Child with sessions recently recorded at Abbey Road.

The Road to OR3

Olivia Rodrigo's next album, her third, is seemingly nearing completion, stirring significant buzz among fans. Producer Dan Nigro, a frequent collaborator, shared a telling photo on February 24. The image showed him and Rodrigo, accompanied by the straightforward caption, "Finishing records."

The snapshot itself captured a moment of intense focus. Nigro appeared to lean back on a couch, one hand on his heart and the other contemplatively at his temple. Rodrigo, seated cross-legged beside him, sported a concerned frown, far from a typical studio smile. She herself commented on the "palpable stress in this photo," acknowledging the pressure inherent in the final stages of album production.

Rumors of Rodrigo's third album have circulated for months. Last October, the Grammy-winning singer confirmed she was actively working in the studio. She continued to share cryptic Instagram posts and photos from recording sessions, consistently fueling anticipation for her next musical chapter.

Stars Unite for War Child's "Help(2)"

Beyond her solo work, Rodrigo is also contributing to a significant charity project, "Help(2)." This new compilation serves as a sequel to War Child's immensely successful 1995 album, "Help," aiming to raise funds for children affected by conflict worldwide. The roster of artists involved reads like a who's who of contemporary music, including Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn, Arctic Monkeys, and Olivia Rodrigo herself.

Recording sessions for "Help(2)" took place at London's iconic Abbey Road studios, creating a vibrant hub of musical collaboration. Kae Tempest, a poet and musician, recounted jumping at the chance to work on a new track with Damon Albarn and Fontaines DC frontman Grian Chatten. Tempest and Chatten crafted their verses together the night before recording, "responding to each other" in what Tempest described as a "true collaboration."

The studio environment during the "Flags" recording was bustling. Johnny Marr laid down guitar tracks, while Femi Koleoso from Ezra Collective handled drums. A children's choir also participated, adding layers to the sound.

Other studios at Abbey Road were equally active. Jarvis Cocker was completing a new Pulp song titled "Begging for Change." English Teacher, a rising band, recorded a track featuring Graham Coxon of Blur on guitar. Lily Fontaine, English Teacher's vocalist, expressed disbelief that a song she wrote in university would feature such an influential artist, noting a "nervous hush" fell over the room when Coxon walked in.

A Child's Perspective

The project's focus on children extended beyond the choir. Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer, known for "The Zone of Interest," was enlisted to create a film accompanying the album. Glazer decided the visual component should reflect "the joy and freedom of childhood," a direct nod to War Child's mission.

He brought children from war zones into the creative process, asking them to film themselves playing. Additionally, pupils from local schools were invited to Abbey Road to document the recording sessions. Glazer described the scene as "every bit as chaotic and wonderful as you can imagine," with "eight nine-year-olds running around with Sony Handycams."

One memorable incident involved a young filmmaker. While filming Johnny Marr during a recording, the boy decided he wanted to capture something behind the guitarist. He simply "pushed Johnny’s guitar neck out of the way to get to it," illustrating the uninhibited spirit Glazer sought to capture.

This youthful energy also influenced the music. English Teacher ended up singing with Albarn's children's choir. Cocker, for Pulp's track, co-opted the same choir, but with a twist. Instead of traditional singing, he encouraged them to scream, believing it would better capture their natural energy. He reasoned that conventional children's choirs often stifle kids' vitality, making them do "something supposedly grown-up and boring."

Pop Queens in Production

Rodrigo isn't the only pop artist signaling new music. Several other prominent female artists have recently offered glimpses into their studio work, hinting at a busy year for new releases.

Clairo kicked off a wave of such updates with an Instagram photo dump. Her posts included images from what appeared to be studio sessions, suggesting work on her fourth album. One grainy shot seemed to be from a security camera, showing two guitarists and a keyboardist jamming. More explicitly, she shared a close-up of masking tape labeled "Clairo 4" and a picture of herself writing in a notebook with a Roland keyboard nearby. It's been two years since Clairo released her third LP, "Charm."

Dua Lipa also joined the trend, sharing a jam-packed photo dump on Tuesday. Amidst pictures with her fiancé Callum Turner, a selfie with Tove Lo, and a cookie, Lipa included three photos of herself strumming a "crystal clear guitar" and one inside a recording studio. This marks the third time this year Lipa has teased her fourth studio album, having posted similar photos in February. She previously told Rolling Stone that "love is influencing the sonics" and described the music as "very fun," adding, "I’m still in discovery mode but we’re having a good time."

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Gracie Abrams, too, spent much of 2025 teasing her third album, the follow-up to her 2024 release, "The Secret of Us," though she revealed last fall that her "next album isn’t made," indicating her creative process is still unfolding.