She’s not holding back! Olivia Rodrigo was skyrocketed to fame following the release of her debut single, “Drivers License,” in January 2021. Now, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress has dealt with public speculation about her love life, released a full-length album and starred in a successful TV show all before graduating high school.
“Oh, my gosh, that was the craziest time of my life,” she shared while chatting with Variety in August 2021, remembering when her first-ever single took over the No. 1 spot on Apple Music. “That was the moment that I knew that it was going to be something bigger than I expected.”
Following the track’s release, fans of the Disney+ series HSMTMTS were convinced that the song was all about a rumored past relationship with costar Joshua Bassett, who appeared to have moved on with someone new. While none of the parties involved actually ever confirmed the song’s meaning (or the speculation regarding their relationship), Olivia did tell Variety that she didn’t expect fans to react the way that they did.
“I put it out not knowing that it would get that reaction, so it was really strange [when] it did,” the Disney Channel alum said of the song. “I just remember [everyone being] so weird and speculative about stuff they had no idea about. … I don’t really subscribe to hating other women because of boys. I think that’s so stupid, and I really resent that narrative that was being tossed around.”
That’s not the first time the actress has dodged the song’s meaning.
“I totally understand people’s curiosity with the specifics of who the song’s about and what it’s about, but to me, that’s really the least important part of the song,” Olivia told Billboard in January 2021. “It’s resonating with people because of how emotional it is, and I think everything else is not important.”
Because of her sudden rise to fame, the questions about her personal life have yet to stop.
“I’m taking it one step at a time,” Olivia told Vogue Singapore in September 2021. “It can be really tough on your mental health, though. I’m grateful for the people who like me for me, and keep me separated from all the noise and tabloids or what people are saying about me on social media. That’s always been a top priority.”
Scroll through our gallery to read Olivia’s honest quotes about living life in the public eye.
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