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Thanks to the success of her hit single “Drivers License”, Olivia Rodrigo is following in the footsteps of other pop stars who got their starts on Disney Channel series, such as Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”), Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) and Demi Lovato (“Camp Rock”, “Sonny with a Chance”).
In a new interview with Nylon, Rodrigo, who appears in Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”, said doesn’t see herself as “that classic ‘Disney pop girl’ archetype,” and while she’s “very aware” of comparisons she insists she’s not necessarily following the same template.
“My music is definitely separate from my acting in a way I always dreamed would happen. When ‘Drivers License’ came out, everyone was like, ‘I have no idea who this Olivia Rodrigo girl is, but I love this song.’ That is the absolute dream for me, because I’ve always wanted to be taken seriously as a songwriter,” she explained.
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“Being an actor can interfere with that, just because being an actor is based on telling lies, and being a songwriter is based on telling the absolute, whole truth,” added Rodrigo.
Referring to her use of four-letter words in her music, she continued, “People always ask me, ‘Oh, did you say f**k in ‘drivers license’ to show that you aren’t just a Disney star?’ It’s cool that people might think that, but I’m just making music that I love and that I feel passionate about. It’s who I am. I have a dirty mouth. It was what felt natural and good to me, and people resonated with that.”
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Added Rodrigo, “If I am ushering in a new generation of pop stars that aren’t afraid to speak their mind, that’s so cool. I’m just doing my thing, though.”