Chart-topping star 'felt like world was ending' over devastating break-up

Sweeping to superstardom at such breakneck speed certainly brought its challenges forOlivia Rodrigo, and recalling her meteoric rise in 2021, she has said, “It was, obviously, just absurd and crazy. I’d been writing songs and working my whole life, but it did seem sort of instantaneous.”

Speaking of the psychological impact of the sudden pressure she came under, she added, asOK! reports, “It can be reallytough on your mental health. I’m grateful for the people who like me for me, and keep me separated from all the noise.”

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At one point, she dealt with it by deleting her social media accounts, and she found repeatedCovid lockdowns oddly helpful. “I couldn’t play a show. I couldn’t go meet people who were listening to the song. So it was very insular in a way that I think was actually really beneficial for my mental health,” she said.

Having first started therapy at the age of 16, Olivia opened up about her battles in her 2022 Disney+ film Driving Home 2 U. Describing the pain of a breakup while making her debut record Sour, she said, “It felt like my world was ending every single day.”

On another occasion, she suggested that older people “trivialise” what teenagers go through, and added, “It feels so real when you’re in it, and it’s so valid. Just because it’s not an adult problem or you don’t have to pay taxes yet or whatever, doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt.” Despite riding high in the charts, she told of periods of crippling self-doubt when she “started thinking everything I did was really bad”.

That came to the fore while writingsecond album Guts, and in an interview with music writer Laura Snapes in 2023, she admitted, “There were a good few months where I would sit at the piano and all I would think about was how I was never going to make something as good, or all the mean things that people on Twitter would say.”

Recalling the day that conversation took place, Laura tells us today, “One thing I found sad when I interviewed her were her comments over insecurities about the way she looks. To me, it was proof of how dangerous social media can be, if a very young and very beautiful woman can feel that way.”

But as she points out, Olivia’s honesty carries some advantages. “One of the really positive things about this new generation of popstars is the way they talk about the toll of fame and all the expectations on them as women,” she says. “People like Olivia, Billie Eilish and Chappell Roan are telling fans, ‘If you want to understand us, you have to know what we’re going through and what the personal cost is for us.’

Thankfully, Olivia seems very wise and knows how to look after herself.” When touring leaves her “burned out and exhausted”, she activates a plan to counter it, saying, “I do all the classic things. Call my therapist, go to the gym, I eat really healthy, and I don’t drink.” Journalling is a key part of her routine, too. “I could journal forever,” she has said.

“Putting down all the random stuff that comes into my head. Or if I’m feeling anxious, I’ll make a list of all the things I’m grateful for.” During downtime, she finds sanctuary in seeing her oldest pals, too. “I really love hanging out with my friends. I feel like that’s really rejuvenating for me. And I love talking about stuff that is not music or industry-related.”

Maintaining her own space is mentally beneficial as well, and she has said, “I love spending time by myself. That’s the best thing ever.” Speaking on the YouTube series Actually Me in 2021, she said it was “very exciting” to move out of her parents’ house and into her first “big girl apartment”, but later added, “It’s like a soft move out – my parents are there a lot of the time.”

One of the most difficult times for Olivia came in 2021 when she faced accusations of plagiarism in songs from Sour. When critics drew attention to a likeness between her hit Good 4 U and Paramore’s 2007 anthem Misery Business, band members Hayley Williams and Josh Farro were later credited as co-writers on her song. But it proved controversial, as many disputed the claim, saying they were two different songs with just fleeting similarities.

It opened a debate about the blurred lines of musical influence, and as BBC music correspondent Mark Savage tells us, “When you’re starting out as a songwriter, of course you try and imitate your heroes. Sometimes those imitations are more overt than others, and sometimes you might combine six or seven different influences. I think that’s something Olivia does well across her music, and for me, as long as you’re putting your own spin on a song, it’s original.”

Admitting she was “a little caught off-guard” by what happened, Olivia was clearly hurt by the fallout. “I think it’s disappointing to see people take things out of context and discredit any young woman’s work,” she said. Stressing that she composed the lyrics and melody for Good 4 U in the shower, she added, “What’s so beautiful about music is that it can be so inspired by music that’s come out in the past… It’s sort of a fun, beautiful sharing process. Nothing in music is ever new.”

Unfortunately, the same issue reared its head with her song Deja Vu, and Olivia also gave retrospective songwriting credits to Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent for its resemblances to Taylor’s 2019 track Cruel Summer. Olivia later said it was “very confusing,” and that she had been “green and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed” at that stage in her career, but the saga led toa reported rift with Taylor – who Olivia grew up idolising.

She had once even said, “I truly would not be the songwriter I am today had I not grown up being so inspired by everything that she does.” But many months later, when Olivia confessed to not attending any shows from Taylor’s Eras Tour, rumours swirled that the lyrics to Vampire – which included the words “bloodsucker, fame f*cker” – may have been aimed at her pop rival.

When asked directly about it, Olivia replied, “How do I answer this? 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.” She also told how she was “very surprised” when people assumed she was dissing Taylor, insisting, “I don’t have beef with anyone.”

Even today, it’s unclear if the pair have reconciled. “Nobody really knows what went on there,” says Laura. “But whatever you think about the situation with the writing credits, I doubt it’s a mistake that Olivia will ever make again. I don’t think it was done intentionally – she was just so young, with so many formative influences, and they just came out in ways she didn’t realise until it was pointed out to her.”

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