A few of the biggest pop moments in 2021 have come from Olivia Rodrigo, from her hit debut single “Drivers License” and her chart-topping debut album, Sour. But she’s also faced backlash. Many listeners felt some of the young singer’s songs sounded too similar to other artists. And when when artists like Taylor Swift and Paramore received songwriting credits, they accused her of ripping off their work. During a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Rodrigo responded to the criticism.
“I think it’s disappointing to see people take things out of context and discredit any young woman’s work,” Rodrigo told the publication. “But at the end of the day I’m just really proud and happy to say that my job is being a songwriter. … All music is inspired by each other.” Rodrigo added, “Obviously, I write all of my lyrics from my heart and my life first. I came up with the lyrics and the melody for ‘Good 4 U’ one morning in the shower.”
She continued, “What’s so beautiful about music is that it can be so inspired by music that’s come out in the past. Every single artist is inspired by artists who have come before them. It’s sort of a fun, beautiful sharing process. Nothing in music is ever new. There’s four chords in every song. That’s the fun part — trying to make that your own.”
After the release of Sour, Rodrigo credited Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro on “Good 4 U” due to its similarities to the band’s 2008 track, “Misery Business.” Taylor Swift received two credits on the album, first on “Deju Vu” and then on “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back” for their similarities to Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and “New Year’s Day” respectively.
You can read Rodrigo’s full interview with Teen Vogue here.
