Olivia Rodrigo Can’t Seem to Escape Comparisons
By Emma Tufo
October 10, 2023
Image Credit: Pixabay
Singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo shot back into the spotlight as the release of her sophomore album, “Guts,” captivated audiences everywhere, becoming the young artist’s second No. 1 album.
Fans everywhere were ecstatic to finally get some new music, but the hype surrounding her latest album soon turned to controversy.
Many are accusing Rodrigo of copying song patterns from artists such as Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Paramore, sparking a heated debate over the singer’s originality on social media.
Rodrigo is no stranger to this. Her breakout album “Sour” in 2021 faced the same dispute, with her song “Deja Vu” being compared to Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.”
Swift's team allegedly accused Rodrigo of copyright infringement. Rodrigo went on to retroactively grant writing credits and royalties to Swift on the song.
Junior government and politics major Corinne Allen is a fan of both Swift and Rodrigo. She thinks the whole comparison between the two was blown out of proportion.
“I don’t think it’s always intentional when one artist’s song sounds like another’s. Fans go overboard with trying to make connections that aren’t there,” said Allen
Today, fans have brought attention to similarities between “All-American Bitch” from Guts and Miley Cyrus’s “Start All Over.” Another lawsuit is likely brewing, according to Forbes.
This controversy over song originality is a common trend for Rodrigo. The only two albums put out by the 20-year-old artist have sparked some type of comparison between her and another female singer.
The comparison of Rodrigo to other female stars has brought up the argument among her own fans that it’s just a way to discredit her talent.
Avid Swiftie and junior criminal justice major Hailey Schifano even said she didn’t realize the similarities between “Cruel Summer” and “Deja Vu” until people spoke about it negatively online.
“This isn’t that big of a deal - people are fishing for a problem. Olivia has worked hard and in no way should this discredit her fame or credibility,” said Schifano.
Junior kinesiology major Madison Clunk had a different take. She said that she agrees with the talk surrounding Rodrigo’s music being similar to that of other artists, but all of the blame can’t be put on her.
“She’s young and new to the industry. She needs a better team to make sure this doesn’t happen,” said Clunk.
Female artists are constantly pinned against one another. Social media has allowed fans to argue daily about whose tour, sales and music is more successful. Rodrigo is one of the most famous female artists in the world right now and her successes are put against vets in the industry.
“It’s a bigger conversation that needs to be had. To my knowledge, the behind-the-scenes part of the industry is “male-dominated,” so when women are placed in the public eye, no one will blame those behind the work she put out,” said Allen.
Fans everywhere were ecstatic to finally get some new music, but the hype surrounding her latest album soon turned to controversy.
Many are accusing Rodrigo of copying song patterns from artists such as Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Paramore, sparking a heated debate over the singer’s originality on social media.
Rodrigo is no stranger to this. Her breakout album “Sour” in 2021 faced the same dispute, with her song “Deja Vu” being compared to Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer.”
Swift's team allegedly accused Rodrigo of copyright infringement. Rodrigo went on to retroactively grant writing credits and royalties to Swift on the song.
Junior government and politics major Corinne Allen is a fan of both Swift and Rodrigo. She thinks the whole comparison between the two was blown out of proportion.
“I don’t think it’s always intentional when one artist’s song sounds like another’s. Fans go overboard with trying to make connections that aren’t there,” said Allen
Today, fans have brought attention to similarities between “All-American Bitch” from Guts and Miley Cyrus’s “Start All Over.” Another lawsuit is likely brewing, according to Forbes.
This controversy over song originality is a common trend for Rodrigo. The only two albums put out by the 20-year-old artist have sparked some type of comparison between her and another female singer.
The comparison of Rodrigo to other female stars has brought up the argument among her own fans that it’s just a way to discredit her talent.
Avid Swiftie and junior criminal justice major Hailey Schifano even said she didn’t realize the similarities between “Cruel Summer” and “Deja Vu” until people spoke about it negatively online.
“This isn’t that big of a deal - people are fishing for a problem. Olivia has worked hard and in no way should this discredit her fame or credibility,” said Schifano.
Junior kinesiology major Madison Clunk had a different take. She said that she agrees with the talk surrounding Rodrigo’s music being similar to that of other artists, but all of the blame can’t be put on her.
“She’s young and new to the industry. She needs a better team to make sure this doesn’t happen,” said Clunk.
Female artists are constantly pinned against one another. Social media has allowed fans to argue daily about whose tour, sales and music is more successful. Rodrigo is one of the most famous female artists in the world right now and her successes are put against vets in the industry.
“It’s a bigger conversation that needs to be had. To my knowledge, the behind-the-scenes part of the industry is “male-dominated,” so when women are placed in the public eye, no one will blame those behind the work she put out,” said Allen.