Olivia Rodrigo Takes a Cheeky Jab at Taylor Swift and Paramore Writing Credit Drama During Electrifying Concert!
Amid ongoing speculation of a rift between Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift, the 'Vampire' singer playfully addressed the controversy surrounding 'Guts' songwriting credits during a recent concert
Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift Getty Images; FilmMagic
Olivia Rodrigo, 20, and her co-writer/producer Dan Nigro recently held a private concert at The Theater at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on October 9. According to Billboard, the event provided an opportunity for Rodrigo and Nigro, 41, to showcase songs from her latest album, Guts, and discuss the process of creating each track.
According to Billboard, Rodrigo jokingly expressed concerns about potential issues arising from her decision to include his then 5-month-old daughter, Saoirse, on the song without giving her credit.
The joke was a clear allusion to the controversy surrounding the songwriting credits of Sour. After the album's release, Swift, 33, along with her collaborators Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent, obtained a songwriting credit for Rodrigo's "Deja Vu" due to its resemblance to Swift's "Cruel Summer." Additionally, Swift was credited as a songwriter for Rodrigo's "1 Step Forward" because of the evident influence of Taylor's "New Year's Day."
Joey Howard, Hayley Williams, and Taylor York from Paramore were also recognized retroactively on Sour. Hayley Williams, along with her former bandmate Josh Farro, were credited on "Good 4 U" because of its resemblance to "Misery Business," which is widely considered to be Paramore's most popular song.
Regarding the credit issue, Rodrigo allocated 50 percent of the credits and royalties to both bands/acts for their respective tracks. In an interview with The Guardian, Rodrigo discussed how this experience potentially influenced her songwriting on Guts, stating, "I was naive about how the music industry functioned, particularly the legal aspects... Now, I feel more knowledgeable about the industry and better prepared in that regard. It wasn't something I dwelled on."
In the same interview, Rodrigo addressed fan speculation that her first single from Guts, titled "Vampire," was about Swift. With lyrics like "bloodsucker, fame f—ker, bleedin’ me dry like a goddamn vampire," and Swift inviting Sabrina Carpenter, who has been rumored to be involved in the "Drivers License" love triangle with Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett, to open for her on The Eras Tour in South America, fans questioned if Rodrigo had a falling out with her idol.
In this article
: Expressing a reluctance to reveal the subjects of her songs, the artist emphasized her longstanding practice of maintaining secrecy, which she intends to continue in the future. According to her, it is preferable not to restrict a song's meaning to a singular interpretation, thus avoiding pigeonholing. She expressed astonishment at the fact that people made assumptions about the identities behind her lyrics.
Olivia Rodrigo
