Olivia Rodrigo is done letting the internet write her story. In a candid new interview, the GUTS singer addressed the years of online speculation surrounding her relationship with Taylor Swift, and her answer was about as grounded as it gets.
The two artists have been linked in fan discourse since 2021, when Rodrigo burst onto the scene with “Drivers License” and openly credited Swift as one of her biggest inspirations. Rodrigo grew up a self-described “diehard” Swift fan, and when “Drivers License” hit No. 1, Swift publicly celebrated her with a handwritten note and personalized gifts. For a while, it looked like a fairytale mentorship story.
Then things got complicated. Rodrigo gave Swift and Jack Antonoff writing credits on two tracks from her debut album, Sour: “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,” which interpolated Swift’s “New Year’s Day,” and “Deja Vu,” which drew comparisons to “Cruel Summer.”
Fans began comparing the bridges of the two songs extensively, eventually prompting Rodrigo to add Swift as a credited songwriter on “Deja Vu.” Whether Swift demanded those credits or whether it was a label-level decision was never officially confirmed, but the internet had already made up its mind.
From there, theories snowballed. When Rodrigo dropped “Vampire” in 2023, speculation swirled that the song was about Swift following the credits dispute. Then her GUTS track “The Grudge” arrived, and fans immediately developed new theories connecting it to the same rumored fallout.
What Olivia Rodrigo Actually Said About Taylor Swift
Speaking to Popcast, Rodrigo gave the clearest picture yet of how she handles the noise.
“I don’t really read too far into it,” she said. “I think it comes with the territory and it’s par for the course. I think if I dove into every internet detective sleuth that, like, got things right or wrong about my life, or any of my relationships, I think I’d just go crazy. Like, there’s just not enough time in the day.”
It’s a sentiment she has echoed before. When Rolling Stone asked her directly about the Swift feud rumors in 2023, Rodrigo said plainly, “I don’t have beef with anyone,” adding, “I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.”
And the public signals have backed that up. At the 2024 Grammy Awards, Swift was spotted singing along and dancing to Rodrigo’s “Vampire” performance, after which Rodrigo blew a kiss in Swift’s direction from the stage. Two months ago, the sighting that really got fans talking: Swift and Rodrigo were both present at Paul McCartney’s intimate show at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on March 28, where witnesses saw the pair chatting and dancing together throughout the set.
For fans who have spent years overanalyzing every lyric and red carpet glance, Rodrigo’s Popcast comments land as a quiet but firm reminder: not everything is a clue.
Olivia Rodrigo is currently on the road supporting the GUTS World Tour.
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