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Olivia Rodrigo drops debut single 'Drivers License', fans convinced heartbreak song is about Joshua Bassett

Here's everything to know about the love triangle that Olivia Rodrigo is writing about in her debut single, about co-star Joshua Bassett, and 'blonde' rival Sabrina Carpenter

Taking a page out of her idol's book, Olivia Rodrigo seems to be going the Taylor Swift way writing about very real and (very recent) heartbreak and laughing all the way to the bank. Fans are already putting names to lyrics in Rodrigo's debut single "Drivers License" with lyrics like "I guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me/ ‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street" and "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". 

Speaking about writing the song, Rodrigo said: "When I came up with 'Drivers License', I was going through a heartbreak that was so confusing to me, so multifaceted. Putting all those feelings into a song made everything seem so much simpler and clearer - and at the end of the day, I think that’s really the whole purpose of songwriting. There’s nothing like sitting at the piano in my bedroom and writing a really sad song. It’s truly my favorite thing in the world.”

Who is Olivia Rodrigo heartbroken over?

In case you haven't been following the gossip on the 17-year-old actress of Disney+ series ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’ (HSMTMTS) and now singer, Rodrigo's character on the show, Nini, was 'shipped' heavily with co-star Joshua Bassett, who plays Ricky. The two shared obvious chemistry and so when rumors spread of the two dating, fans went wild. Though never confirmed officially, it seem the two were dating, on and off, between July 2019 to May 2020. They were constantly spotted with one another, showing up as regulars on each others' Instagram feeds, giving off couple vibes in their pictures. They even revealed on one of their Instagram stories that they have nicknames for one another -- "Joshy" for Bassett and "Liv" for Rodrigo. He mentioned in an interview that when they were songwriting together, they “spent like, every hour, on and off set” together.

Has Olivia Rodrigo written a song about Bassett before?

The two also supported each other's music careers outside the show. Rodrigo released a song called 'Gross' on her Instagram page in which she croons, "Not long ago when I saw you there /With your brown-eyed grin and your messy hair/ And every girl at the party was looking at you" and "Is it me or does it feel more than high school love?" that pointed to Bassett as her object of affection. Bassett even commented on the video saying, “u kill me”. Bassett has also co-written 'Just a Moment' for the HSMTMTS' Season 1 soundtrack with Rodrigo.  

However, they might have broken up around May 2020 because they stopped liking each other's social media posts and spent way less time together. In December 2020, YouTube channel 'Chicks in the Office' asked Bassett about his relationship with Olivia Rodrigo in an interview, in which he referred to Rodrigo as a “homie, for sure”, and said she was “really wonderful” - all indications that the romance, if any, had defintely cooled. 

Who is the "blonde" rival in 'Drivers license'?

In case you were wondering who the "blonde" Rodrigo is referring to in her song, it could be Sabrina Carpenter. The 21-year-old actress and singer is best known for playing Maya Hart in 'Girl Meets World' and slated to play Alice in Netflix’s upcoming live-action 'Alice in Wonderland'. She has also released four albums with hit songs like 'Sue Me', 'Why' and 'Almost Love'.

Rumors that Carpenter and Bassett were dating started to circulate in July 2020. Bassett and Carpenter were seen kissing at a Black Lives Matter protest. Then, a month later, in August, they were seen out and about together having a lunch date in Los Angeles, California. The day of the lunch date, Rodrigo and her friend Iris Apatow took to Instagram and posted a picture that showed them wearing shirts that said, “Dump Him.”

Romance rumors between Carpenter and Bassett ramped up as they posted a bunch of Tik Tok videos dressed in matching Halloween costumes as SharkBoy and LavaGirl.

So it is quite possible that speculation that 'Drivers License' is about the love triangle between Rodrigo, Bassett and Carpenter is true. Meanwhile, Bassett is also releasing his first single from his new project called 'Lie Lie Lie', seemingly as a reply to Rodrigo's debut single, which will be released next Thursday, on January 14.

Fans certainly seem to think that the co-stars have fallen out. One fan said: "The tea between olivia rodrigo and joshua bassett is obviously...", referencing lyrics from Rodrigo's song and Bassett dropping the title for his song, while another fan of Rodrigo's song said: "I’m a whole ass grown 24 year old watching youtube videos to catch up on the disney love triangle btwn olivia rodrigo, joshua bassett, and sabrina carpenter". Another fan of Rodrigo threw shade at Bassett, tweeting: "Joshua bassett watching olivia rodrigo trend #2 on twitter for a song that's clearly ab him while all his own singles flop".

Another fan was 100 percent sure that Rodrigo's video used footage shot during Bassett and Rodrigo's time together. "I’m not saying drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo is about Joshua bassett but drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo is about Joshua bassett because THATS HIM," she said, with a screenshot of the mysterious neck view featured on the video on which Rodrigo's face is projected, while another fan said: "Joshua bassett after listening to drivers license by @Olivia_Rodrigo".

According to rumors, Bassett cheated on Rodrigo with Carpenter and then dumped Rodrigo to date Carpenter, which is why Rodrigo's fans are throwing shade on Bassett via Twitter. The love spat between the two co-stars might have now affected the cast of HSMTMTS as well. Larry Saperstein, who plays Big Red on the show, stopped commenting and interacting with Bassett’s instagram posts in May and the rest of the cast seems to have followed his lead in August, after Bassett's 'lunch date'. When Bassett announced he was turning 20 on December 22, no one from the cast commented. 

In contrast, when Olivia Rodrigo announced on December 22 that she will be releasing new music, cast members Sofia Wylie and Julia Lester commented on the post expressing their support. Within three hours of the post being uploaded, Kate Reinders, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie, Julia Lester, and Joe Serafini all liked it as well. All we can say is season 2 of HSMTMTS is going to be très awkward.