driver's license: how olivia rodrigo's song topped the charts

by Quinn Wilson

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“Red lights, stop signs..” it’s everywhere: Olivia Rodrigo’s breakout song is all over the internet.  From TikTok to Instagram, you can’t escape the catchy tune and the gossip that goes along with it.

@olivia.rodrigo on IG

A love triangle and a heartbreak song brought Rodrigo to the top of the Billboard 100 for the past two weeks.  The Disney star, from “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is all over social media and the news.  This autobiographical song about Rodrigo tells the story of her getting her driver’s license and not being able to share it with the person she planned on sharing it with, but instead she’s driving through the suburbs crying.

So what’s the gossip behind the song?  Rumored to be about her co-star Joshua Bassett, Rodrigo sings about how they were planning to wait to be a couple for when Rodrigo got older since Bassett is a few years older than her.  Yet this did not go according to plan. Bassett started dating older Disney star, Sabrina Carpenter instead. Carpenter is rumored to be “that blonde girl'' that Rodrigo sings about.  But Rodrigo took her heartbreak and turned it into success. At just 17 years old her song shot to the top of the charts in days. 

Spotify executive, Jeremy Erlich, explained to the NY Times that “a ton of X-factor that made this the perfect storm.”  The amazing melody and lyrics, along with the gossip caused Olivia Rodrigo to launch her solo career in just a matter of days. 

Everyone loves a heartbreak song, whether or not they can relate, so go out there and listen to this perfect storm of a song.
​See you next week!