Olivia Rodrigo excites the world with her hit single “driver’s license”

As 2021 seemed to start off with a bang, 17-year-old singer and former Disney Channel actress Olivia Rodrigo added to the commotion when her debut single “driver’s license” was released to the world on Jan. 8. 

The song, which revolves around young heartbreak and an “ex” that has moved on, was embraced by teens and young adults worldwide. As TikTok users began to use the sound, its popularity increased. The TikTok hashtag #driverslicense amassed over 888.5 million views in one week, and the song hit number one on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music globally upon its release. On top of her already impressive list of accomplishments, Rodrigo became the youngest living artist to top Billboard Hot 100. On Jan. 19, amazed by the amount of positive feedback for her song, the artist reached out to her fans via Instagram. 

“My first song ‘driver’s license’ came out about a week ago,” Rodrigo said. “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect all of this support. This morning the billboard charts came out and ‘driver’s license’ debuted as number one in the world!..” 

The recognition Rodrigo received for “driver’s license” shocked many, including herself. Celebrities such as Taylor Swift, who Rodrigo says inspired her as a songwriter, acknowledged her success with the comment, “I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud” under an Instagram post. Niall Horan, from the former boy band One Direction, also was said to have reached out to Rodrigo offering advice whenever need be. 

“I mean, that is just everything. All the recognition the song has got is beyond my wildest dreams,” Rodrigo said in a recent interview with NME. “Taylor Swift – is my songwriting idol and I wouldn’t be half of the woman and a songwriter I am today without her – reached out and was so supportive of the song. I just found out the other day that Lorde likes it, Halsey likes it, all of these people that I have grown up listening to are saying they’re liking the song. It’s absolutely surreal to me- as I put little bits and pieces of their songwriting into the songs I’ve written.”

The other captivating aspect about the song that fans seem to love is the emotional drama that inspired it. In November 2019, Rodrigo starred as Nini Salazar-Roberts in the Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Nini is a 16-year-old who attends East High School, which just so happens to be the set where the infamous Disney Channel “High School Musicals” were shot. So, when the school decides to pay homage to the movie by recreating it for their school musical, Nini goes out for the part of Gabriella Montez. Gabriella’s love interest Troy Bolton is played by the character Ricky Bowen. However, he and Nini had had a previous relationship that ended badly, creating a story filled with drama for its viewers as they attempt to navigate their roles. Yet, there is still more to uncover. The character Ricky Bowen was played by real life actor Joshua Bassett. After the TV show aired, fans speculated that Rodrigo and Bassett were dating, which was later backed when they posted multiple times together on social media.

“There are so many layers behind the song and I think that’s what makes it so good,” senior Meaghan Sholtis said. “First, you have Joshua and Olivia playing love interests during HSMTMTS. During this time fans could see this connection.”

However, when Bassett posted a TikTok of himself and another former Disney actress, Sabrina Carpenter, in November of this year, many got the message that the relationship between Rodrigo and Bassett had ended privately. Now, fans are sure of these theories as Rodrigo’s song lyrics point directly towards her former relationship. Rodrigo, singing to her former lover, starts the song with the following: 

“I got my driver’s license last week, just like we always talked about. ‘Cause you were so excited for me to finally drive up to your house. But today I drove through the suburbs crying because you weren’t around. And you’re probably with that blonde girl, who always made me doubt. She’s so much older than me, she’s everything I’m insecure about.”

Fans immediately believed that the “blonde girl” in question was Sabrina Carpenter, who also happens to be three years older than Rodrigo. Rodrigo had previously discussed in several interviews prior to their breakup that Bassett had taught her how to drive, which fans attributed to the theme and title of the song as well. 

“I could definitely tell it was about Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett,” Sholtis said. “In the original version, Olivia posted on Instagram back in July, she used the lyric “brunette girl” but in the version she just released, she changed the lyric to “blonde girl”. Since Sabrina is blonde you can tell the song is about her and Joshua.”

With all the attention the song has received, people who haven’t heard it have to wonder how and why it became so popular. Teens and young adults all over the world have continuously streamed the song on their listening devices and spread their love for the song all over social media. So what makes it so good? 

“Drivers license strikes a chord with so many teens because of how relatable it is,” Sholtis said. “Everyone has gone through some type of heartbreak, whether it is in a relationship or not. Also, teens are fascinated by the drama and message behind the song. The song also feels super empowering and makes you just want to drive around with your windows down, screaming the lyrics.”

Whether it be the drama that inspired the song, the attention it has gotten from other celebrities, or the pure quality and ingenious lyrics, Rodrigo has created a song that the people love, starting the new year off right. 

“Thank you guys endlessly for listening,” Rodrigo finished in her Instagram post. “You all have managed to turn one of the scariest most painful moments of my life into something so positive and powerful.”