Thanks to the massive popularity of her hit song, “Drivers License,” Olivia Rodrigo has quickly risen to fame. Even though her track made a splash when it was released earlier this year, Rodrigo has been in the entertainment industry for some time. Before she became well-known as a pop singer, the 18-year-old got her start on the Disney Channel.
According to Billboard, Rodrigo’s first major television role was on Bizaardvark, which ran for three seasons on the Disney Channel from 2016 to 2019. In the series, she starred as Paige Olvera, a guitarist, and starred alongside Madison Hu and Jake Paul. Her breakout role came via High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which premiered on the streaming service Disney+ in November 2019. Rodrigo plays Nini Salazar-Roberts, a student who is cast in the role of Gabriella Montez, the character Vanessa Hudgens originated in the High School Musical films. Season 2 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which follows the students of the fictional East High, is currently filming.
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Rodrigo, a California native, turned 18 on Saturday. Coincidentally, that same day, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch in which a group of men in a pool hall bond over their love for “Drivers License.” Rodrigo promptly reacted to the skit on Twitter, writing, “DRIVERS LICENSE SNL SKETCH IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER IM SHAKING.” As they even noted during the sketch, it has been widely rumored that the song is about Rodrigo’s former relationship with Joshua Bassett, with whom she co-stars on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, who has reportedly moved on with Sabrina Carpenter. The 18-year-old has neither confirmed nor denied that the song is about Bassett and, thus, Carpenter.
During an interview with British Vogue, Rodrigo was asked about the inspiration behind “Drivers License.” However, she did not discuss the person whom she referenced in the track, as she wants the message in the song to speak for itself. She explained, “I completely understand why people are curious about the specifics of the song but, to me, who and what the song is about is not important. People are resonating with the song because it’s so honest, raw and emotional. I was talking to my therapist just before this interview and she said, ‘I listen to this song — I’m an adult woman and I’m your therapist, but I relate to everything you’re going through.’ It’s been insane to see people’s genuine reactions, no matter what situation they’re in.”
