Liz Phair is totally good with being a Gen X feminist in a Gen Z world

Liz Phair’s influence is evident in the work of Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail and other young artists exploring intimacy in the age of the DM. “I grew up in a certain time period, and I’ve accepted its limitations,” says Liz Phair. With Olivia Rodrigo — whose smash debut, “Sour,” builds upon the smarts and candor of “Guyville” even if 18-year-old Rodrigo wasn’t alive when it came out — “I felt an immediate kinship,” Phair says. “Spilling all the drinks, talking s— about Warhol.” Asked which half of that couple she identifies with, Phair says, “Oh, I’m always the Laurie. It’s conflicted, and that’s OK. I’m a product of the late 20th century; I’ll leave it to the next generation to re-carve the shape of their dreams.” Liz Phair: “I have a lot of empathy for the idealized we-have-to-reform-society thing.” Despite Phair’s proven cool-aunt status, it’s easy to wonder whether the contradictions that have always defined her work — on “Soberish” no less than on “Exile in Guyville” — might land less favorably among Gen Z-ers with more rigidly progressive politics.