Stars: 5/5
I will admit, I am one to drive around Baton Rouge screaming to sad songs even when I don’t have anything going on in my life to relate to them. Whether I’m doing my emo drives solo or with my roommates, the song selection is key. Olivia Rodrigo has made that song selection a whole lot easier with her new single “Drivers License,” and I’m not sure I’ll ever find a better song to belt out to during car rides.
If Rodrigo isn’t on your radar as being one of the most talented up-and-coming young artists of today’s music scene, I highly suggest you look her up. She rose to fame in 2019 as Nini Salazar-Roberts in the Disney+ original “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” Rodrigo wrote her own song for her character called “All I Want” which gained popularity on TikTok, but this song did not do nearly as well as “Drivers License” has been doing ever since its release.
Rodrigo teased her new single on her social media accounts, one of them being TikTok. In true TikTok fashion, the snippet of the unreleased song went viral, which played a vital role in hyping up the song before its full release.
I can’t scroll through my TikTok For You Page without hearing the song on almost every other video. Ever since this song came out, I have heard it literally everywhere, but trust me, I’m not mad about it. It seems like everyone loves this song since it came out. “Drivers License” is dominating the charts on Spotify and Apple Music with millions of streams and has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This song could not have come at a better time, in my opinion. During this pandemic, it has been hard for artists to come out with new content and music for their fans. Sure, there has been new music in the trying times of today, but I don’t think I’ve seen a song like this in a while. Not only is it beautifully written and orchestrated, it has also had unprecedented success, especially since it’s by a lesser known artist.
Another reason this song is gaining popularity and making headlines is because of the fan-speculated rumors surrounding the song’s inspiration. Rodrigo has been romantically linked to her Disney co-star, Joshua Bassett. Though their offscreen relationship was never confirmed by either star, fans noticed some similarities between the lyrics and real-life events involving Rodrigo and Bassett.
The main theory surrounding the song is that Rodrigo wrote it after her relationship with Bassett didn’t work out. Fans also think that another Disney star, Sabrina Carpenter, may be the one who Bassett moved on with since Rodrigo refers to a past lover moving on with “that blonde girl.”
It seems like almost everyone is speculating about this unconfirmed drama between three young Disney actors, but that doesn’t surprise me. We’ve seen this happen before with other Disney stars writing big hits about their failed relationships. If the rumors are true, Rodrigo isn’t the first one to do it. Miley Cyrus has done it. Demi Lovato has done it. Selena Gomez has done it, too. Whether the theories are true or not, these fan-made rumors have made adults invest in this unconfirmed storyline that has definitely helped the song’s streaming numbers.
Though these rumors are speculated, Bassett conveniently released his own song shortly after “Drivers License” rose in popularity. His song is called “Lie Lie Lie” and is more upbeat, though it does seem to call out someone who apparently is spreading lies about Bassett. These two songs were teased and released around the same time, so I don’t think this is a case where Bassett is making a response to Rodrigo’s song. Bassett even took to his Instagram story to congratulate Rodrigo on “Driver’s License,” so it is unclear if the rumors are true, but I will say I find them a little believable.
Whether you’ve heard this song on TikTok, got invested into the fan-made drama or simply listened to it on the radio, you can’t deny that “Drivers License” may be the hottest song right now. The huge success of a song from a lesser-known artist like Rodrigo seems a little unparalleled. I don’t think this is a case of a one-hit-wonder either. Rodrigo has proven herself as a professional artist and songwriter despite her age. This song is pretty much flawless and gives me all the feels that I didn’t even know I was feeling. If you don’t think this song is amazing, try blaring it with the windows down on a night drive and let me know if your mind has changed. Anyway, stream “Drivers License” by Olivia Rodrigo.