Olivia Rodrigo Alludes to Tearful Inspiration Behind "Drivers License"

Olivia Rodrigo reveals what was going through her mind when writing "Drivers License," which is speculated to be about HSMTMTS co-star Joshua Bassett.

By Cydney Contreras Jan 14, 2021 9:20 PMTags
Watch: Olivia Rodrigo: 5 Things to Know About the Singer

If you weren't already sobbing over Olivia Rodrigo's song, "drivers license," you will now.

The 17 year old revealed to Zane Lowe in a new Apple Music interview that inspiration for the heartbreaking track first struck when she was "literally crying in my living room." She recalled, "I was like driving around my neighborhood actually listening to really sad songs and like crying in the car and I got home and was like, ‘Maybe I'll write a song about this, like crying in the car.' So I just sat down at my piano and plucked out some chords that I liked."

She continued, "It kind of happened that way but it was really like natural and organic, like, very much me writing in the depth of my emotion and I think that's apparent."

The star didn't share why she was crying, but fans suspect they know who may have wronged Olivia.

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At this point, you'd have to be living under a rock to not have caught wind of the alleged love triangle between Olivia, her HSMTMTS co-star Joshua Bassett, 20, and his potential new girlfriend Sabrina Carpenter, 21.

Word on the street (Read: Twitter and TikTok) is that Olivia wrote the song about Josh, who was her onscreen love interest in the Disney+ series. Though they never confirmed they were dating, fans long suspected there was something more going on behind the scenes.

Additionally, Olivia said she was getting over a "failed relationship" on TikTok in August.

Likewise, Josh released multiple songs last year, in which he alluded to a breakup.

Josh has since been romantically linked to fellow actress and singer Sabrina, who is seemingly referenced in "drivers license."

In her debut single, Olivia sings, "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."

But none of the stars have explicitly addressed the drama, with Olivia simply telling Zane that the song came from a "place of emotion."

Jason Mendez/Getty Images

Olivia seems to have moved on from the breakup to bigger and better things, like her music career, which has caught the attention of the songwriting queen herself, Taylor Swift

Last week, the folklore artist commented on Olivia's post, "I say that's my baby and I'm really proud."

Suffice to say Olivia, who describes herself as "the biggest Swiftie in the whole world," was overjoyed by Taylor's unexpected praise. "I just about died... just about died," she shared. "Literally, I've looked up to her as long as I can remember, so it was so sweet of her to do that."

To hear more about Olivia's inspirations and the process of writing "drivers license," check out the video above!