Olivia Rodrigo dropped another infectious, confessional pop track called “Vampire” earlier this summer, and it has been gaining widespread recognition across global radios and social media platforms ever since.
The song features lyrics describing an individual who is a “bloodsucker” and “fame f—ker,” and ultimately, someone who apparently drained Rodrigo, 20, emotionally and left her feeling empty.
Although speculation online pointed towards Taylor Swift being the inspiration behind the song, Rodrigo recently addressed the rumors and set the record straight in a new interview with The Guardian.
Did Olivia Rodrigo Write 'Vampire' About Taylor Swift? The Singer Responds To The Viral Rumors
When Rodrigo was asked about viral fan theories that "Vampire" was penned about Swift, 33, she replied: "I was very surprised when people thought that." The "Bad Idea Right?" hitmaker added: "I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about. I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing."
Back in June, Rodrigo officially released "Vampire," the debut track from her upcoming second album, Guts. With her pointed lyrics, she alluded to a possible rift, though it remained unclear whether the song referred to a severed platonic or romantic bond, leaving fans to speculate.
Notable song lyrics include: "I used to think I was smart / But you made me look so naive / The way you sold me for parts / As you sunk your teeth into me." She also sings: "Bloodsucker, fame f—ker / Bleedin’ me dry, like a goddamn vampire."
The Grammy winner continues: "And every girl I ever talked to told me you were bad, bad news / You called them crazy, God, I hate the way I called them crazy too / You’re so convincing / How do you lie without flinching?"
Fans of the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series alum were divided in their interpretations of the track, with some associating it with her past relationships with Zach Bia and Adam Faze, while others connected it to Swift.
Rodrigo, an ardent admirer of Swift, had covered several of her songs before the two finally met at the 2021 Brit Awards. After the singers exchanged handwritten letters and went viral with tributes to each other, Rodrigo released her debut album, Sour with an homage to Swift in the form of interpolating her 2017 song "New Year's Day" (which was produced by Jack Antonoff, in Rodrigo's "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back").
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Rodrigo acknowledged the contributions of Swift and Antonoff in the track at the time of release. However, her song "Deja Vu" was found to have similarities with Swift's 2019 hit "Cruel Summer," which went uncredited initially.
In July 2021, Swift, Antonoff, and St. Vincent were credited as co-writers for the song. After comparisons were made between her 2021 song "good 4 u" and Paramore's 2007 hit "Misery Business," Rodrigo opted to include a post-release credit for Hayley Williams and Josh Farro.
She also notably dished to The Guardian: "I was so green as to how the music industry worked, the litigious side." Rodrigo added: "I feel like now I know so much more about the industry and I just feel better equipped in that regard. It wasn’t something I thought about too much."
Overall, no "Bad Blood" here, it seems!
