Never meet your heroes. Fans keep asking, "Are Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift still friends," but it seems bad blood is brewing.
Listeners were pleased to learn that the pop-punk princess—who earned the title of Spotify song of the summer in 2021 with 600 million+ plays for "good 4 u"— will return with a forthcoming sophomore album, Guts. "Vampire," the first juicy single from the record, has already made a splash. Some think the catchy track is an ode to Olivia Rodrigo's dating life (and a certain ex). Others seem to believe it's about an ongoing feud with Olivia's musical hero, or perhaps former hero, Miss Taylor Swift.
Are the two still friends? Let the analyzing commence.
Are Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift still friends?
Though neither party has yet to comment on their alleged feud, it seems that Olivia and Taylor aren't as close as they once were. Everyone's dying to know who the "Vampire" lyrics are about, and there are a few hints that lead us towards the pop-country sensation.
For one, the singers appear to harbor animosity regarding credits for Olivia's first album, Sour. Rolling Stone reported that the newcomer retroactively credited Taylor, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent for “Deja Vu." They never meet in person to work on any of the tracks, but Olivia was not shy about professing her status as a Swiftie and how Taylor's “New Year’s Day” inspired “1 Step Forward," a track on Sour that first received a non-collaborative credit.
While on the Zach Sang Show, Olivia said: "I came up with the concept, and I sort of wrote a verse and a chorus. I was in the car on a road trip. When I got home, I decided to sing it over the chords of "New Year's Day."I think they’re really beautiful chords. I was lucky enough to get that approved, and it's on the record now."
Let's speed up a few years: When we comb through the "Vampire" lyrics with an editor's red pen, we can't help but wonder if the line, "But you made me look so naive, the way you sold me for parts," is a nod to the feud. Then, it seemed rather interesting that Taylor decided to bring Olivia's rival, Sabrina Carpenter, onto the next leg of her Eras tour.
“Really thrilled to tell you this!! Mexico, Argentina and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year!" she wrote on Instagram on June 2. “Sweet angel princess @sabrinacarpenter will be joining us on all of the shows!”
Could a new girl squad be in the works?
Did Taylor Swift sue Olivia Rodrigo?
Although this seems like an alleged copyright infringement case, a lawsuit has not been publicly acknowledged. Until either party speaks about the issue—or until someone uncovers legal documents—sources believe that Taylor did not sue Olivia.
A brief recap of Taylor and Olivia's friendship
When Olivia rose to fame in 2021, she was thrilled to receive the support of Taylor, who often took to social media to cheer on Olivia.
"I checked my phone and she commented on my photo and I just about died ... just about died," Olivia said in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe about Taylor's commentary. "Literally, I've looked up to her as long as I can remember, so it was so sweet of her to do that."
(For the uninitiated, Olivia sent out a photo appearing below Swift on the iTunes charts, to which Swift wrote, "I say that's my baby and I'm really proud.")
Additionally, Taylor sent handwritten cards and gifts to the up-and-coming songstress, including a ring and cardigan, all of which Olivia loved because of their significance.
Will the bad blood come to an end? Is this all in our minds? Are we just pitting two artists against one another? Whatever the case may be, here's hoping the duo finds their way back to one another once more. (Hey, if it worked for Katy Perry...) Considering the genuine love Olivia had for her idol, we hope that "Vampire" is in fact about an ex and not the person who inspired her to get into songwriting.
"I feel so lucky that I just was born at the right time to be able to look up to somebody like her," Olivia said of Taylor to E! News. "I think she's incredible. All of her support and genuine, like compassion and excitement for me has just been so, so surreal."
Let's get back to that.
