Is Olivia Rodrigo‘s “Vampire” about … Taylor Swift? Rodrigo commented on fan hypothesis that the lead ballad from Guts, on which she scathingly sings about an unnamed “bloodsucker, famef—er,” is one way or the other about one in all her childhood idols.
“How do I reply this?” Rodrigo reportedly whispered to Guardian journalist Laura Snapes, when the query about “Vampire” arose throughout an interview forward of the Sept. 8 launch of Guts.
“I imply, I by no means wish to say who any of my songs are about,” stated Rodrigo. “I’ve by no means accomplished that earlier than in my profession and doubtless received’t. I believe it’s higher to not pigeonhole a track to being about this one factor.”
“I used to be very stunned when individuals thought that,” she added within the article that was printed on Saturday (Sept. 2).
Swift championed Rodrigo, who was a self-proclaimed Swiftie, very early on. “I say that’s my child and I’m actually proud,” she sweetly shared on social media when Rodrigo’s breakout smash “Drivers License” first began showing on charts subsequent to Swift’s music. Swift gifted her a hoop just like the one she wore when engaged on her Purple album — “She is totally the kindest particular person in the entire world,” Rodrigo gushed on the time — and the pair met in particular person and posed collectively for a cute photograph on the 2021 Brit Awards.
After Rodrigo’s debut album, Bitter, dropped, interpolations present in her work proved expensive. Rodrigo ended up retroactively sharing songwriting credit for “deja vu” with Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent) for its memory of Swift’s “Merciless Summer season.” She additionally gave writing credit to Swift and Antonoff on “1 step ahead, 3 steps again” earlier than Bitter‘s launch for together with an interpolation of Swift’s “New Yr’s Day” on the track.
Rodrigo and Swift seemingly haven’t related to one another since, a minimum of publicly. In a current New York Occasions profile, Rodrigo stated she hasn’t seen a present on Swift’s Eras Tour.
Again to the track that means of “Vampire”: To her level, Rodrigo’s lyrics may have been impressed by quite a lot of private experiences the singer-songwriter might need encountered since “Drivers License” made its mark in 2021 — so her reply to the query doesn’t actually reply a lot in any respect.
“Hate to provide the satisfaction, asking the way you’re doing now/ How’s the fort constructed off individuals you fake to care about?” she sings within the opening of the track.
Later within the profile about Rodrigo and her sophomore album, Guardian author Snapes, in her personal phrases, notes that “‘Vampire’ is primarily a few romantic relationship with an older man.” Lots of its lyrical barbs do level towards this interpretation: there’s a line directed at a “cool man,” and one stating that “each lady I ever talked to instructed me you had been unhealthy, unhealthy information.” Within the observe’s second verse, Rodrigo says, “Went for me, and never her/ ‘Trigger women your age know higher.”
Learn the total piece at The Guardian right here.
