Olivia Rodrigo covers the latest issue of Rolling Stone, all to promote her sophomore album, Guts (which is already out). I have no idea if Olivia has had media training in the past few years or whether she’s just preternaturally talented at dodging certain subjects while still leaving plenty of room for speculation. It’s an art form, really, and Olivia has been doing it in interview after interview this year. She doesn’t shut down questions about Sabrina Carpenter, Taylor Swift or Joshua Bassett, but she’s able to deftly answer those questions, shift the conversation and still leave room for so much drama. Some highlights from Rolling Stone:
Katy Perry is mentoring Olivia: “The first time I met her,” Perry says, “I put my hands on her shoulders and was like, ‘Listen, I’m here. Whatever you need.’ Because I know exactly what these pop girlies are going through, and when I was growing up, no one really did that for me.”
Buying a place in Greenwich Village: “Living alone is very frightening. I always get scared someone’s going to come in and murder me, or a ghost is going to come and haunt me.” But she’s still bicoastal, renting a house in Beverly Hills, and hoping to buy a couple of neighborhoods over, in Los Feliz. “I go half and half. Do I feel like I could ever live full time in New York? I just love car culture. I listen to new music solely in the car. Nothing beats it.”
On Joshua Bassett & Sabrina Carpenter. “I mean, that’s a tricky one. I actually, genuinely did not read the article you’re talking about. But, yeah, all that stuff was really crazy. It’s all been handled privately. Handled isn’t the right word, but it’s just not something I like talking about publicly. I take all that stuff seriously, but it happens in privacy. I’m not going to put out a statement. That’s phony. We’re all just people at the end of the day. I deal with it on a person-to-person level that people on Twitter don’t see.”
The speculation about who is behind “Vampire”: “I find myself caring less and less. Behind the scenes, I do all of the things I am supposed to do and try to be as prepared as I can. People are going to say what they want to say. I feel like the more you try to control it, the more miserable you are, and the bigger it gets. I just write songs; it’s not my job to interpret them for other people.”
On all of the rumors about her falling out with Taylor Swift: When I ask Rodrigo about the alleged feud, she’s sipping on a bowl of Italian wedding soup. She goes quiet. “I don’t have beef with anyone,” she says calmly. “I’m very chill. I keep to myself. I have my four friends and my mom, and that’s really the only people I talk to, ever. There’s nothing to say.” She adds: “There’s so many Twitter conspiracy theories. I only look at alien-conspiracy theories.”
On all of the credits she had to add to Sour: “I was a little caught off guard. At the time it was very confusing, and I was green and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Is that the phrase?” It’s unclear if Rodrigo was forced to give the credits: “It’s not something that I was super involved in,” she admits. “It was more team-on-team. So, I wouldn’t be the best person to ask.”
I just love her. No wonder Taylor Swift is so nervous about this one – Olivia is playing Taylor’s game better than Taylor. Like, I don’t have words for how much I love Olivia’s attitude and unwillingness to explain herself here, because Taylor Swift would have absolutely pulled out pie charts and a timeline and she would have roped in ten friends to swear up and down that so-and-so did her dirty. Olivia is like, sure, I write all of these bonkers blind-item songs but I’m just going to sit here and eat my soup while the drama rages around me, I am an ocean of calm. And Katy Perry is her mentor!!! THE Katy Perry, the same Snake Enemy #1??? Please, all of this is amazing.
Cover courtesy of Rolling Stone, additional photos courtesy of Cover Images.
MTV Video Music Awards 2023 held at the Prudential Centre in Newark. Featuring: Olivia Rodrigo Where: Newark, New Jersey, United States When: 12 Sep 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
MTV Video Music Awards 2023 held at the Prudential Centre in Newark. Featuring: Olivia Rodrigo Where: New York City, New Jersey, United States When: 12 Sep 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY** 
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcWtlaX90e86loK%2BhkZS%2FsLDRop6ol5%2BjrLWt2KWmq5ejrLanwL6ilp2nnqmsqa3VnpabnZWbrLi106GWmqappLumq8imlq%2Bdoq6spLTIpaNo