Olivia Rodrigo expressed her “significant surprise” at the speculation linking her new song “Vampire” to Taylor Swift during a recent conversation with The Guardian. The singer of “Good 4 U” was prompted to comment on the fan theory that the lyrics, which go, “bloodsucker, fame f**ker, bleedin’ me dry like a goddamn vampire,” were directed at the “Shake It Off” star.
“I mean, I never want to disclose the subjects of my songs. I’ve never done that throughout my career and likely won’t. I think it’s best not to confine a song to being exclusively about one thing,” she answered. “I was genuinely taken aback when people drew that conclusion.”
Previously, Olivia had credited Taylor and her co-writers with 50% of the songwriting credits and royalties for her track “Deja Vu” after fans noticed its resemblance to Taylor’s “Cruel Summer.” She had also done the same for Paramore, led by Taylor’s close friend Hayley Williams, due to the similarities between “Good 4 U” and Paramore’s “Misery Business.”
Since these credit issues arose, there have been speculations among fans that Olivia and Taylor might no longer be friends. This theory gained traction when the pop superstar invited Sabrina Carpenter, believed to be one of the subjects of “Deja Vu,” to be her opening act on The Eras Tour.
During the interview, Olivia, who is 20 years old, was asked if these copyright concerns made her rethink the songs on her upcoming album “Guts.”
“I was relatively inexperienced in understanding how the music industry functions, particularly the legal aspects… I now feel much more knowledgeable about the industry, and I feel more prepared in that aspect. It wasn’t something I dwelled on too extensively,” she responded vaguely.
“Guts” is set to be released this Friday.