Olivia Rodrigo responds to fan theories about lacy and other GUTS song inspirations

Los Angeles, California - Olivia Rodrigo has shared her perspective on viral fan theories about the inspiration behind some of the most popular tracks on her new album, GUTS.

Olivia Rodrigo has weighed in on some of the most popular theories about her sophomore album, GUTS.
Olivia Rodrigo has weighed in on some of the most popular theories about her sophomore album, GUTS.  © ANGELA WEISS / AFP

The 20-year-old musician spoke to NPR on Tuesday about the fan reactions to her sophomore album, which dropped on September 8.

Though speculation about the inspirations behind the tracks always runs rampant on social media, Olivia said she's particularly fascinated by how people interpret each of her songs.

One such heavily theorized-about song is lacy, which describes an experience of obsessive loathing over someone the singer is deeply envious of.

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"It's sort of about this mysterious feminine figure, and there's a lot of envy involved," Olivia explained. "I've seen so many girls who are like, 'That's my older sister,' or 'That's my ex-best friend.' I saw something the other day that was like, 'I'm envious of my past. lacy feels like my past self.'"

Despite repeated questioning about it, she continued to say that these fan interpretations have led her never to confirm who inspired her songs so as not to tie them to one thing.

Who is lacy by Olivia Rodrigo about?

Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album, GUTS, on September 8.
Olivia Rodrigo released her sophomore album, GUTS, on September 8.  © Noam Galai / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

"I just love watching people have their own interpretations of it. I would never want to take that away," she said.

Olivia is no stranger to the dark side of fan speculation — her debut single, drivers license, led to a flood of vicious hate towards her ex, Joshua Bassett, and his then-girlfriend, Sabrina Carpenter, who many believed inspired the songs.

With GUTS, fans have pointed fingers at ex-boyfriends like Zack Bia and even Taylor Swift due to rampant speculation about a falling out (which Olivia has since denied).

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Speaking with Phoebe Bridgers ahead of GUTS' release, Olivia admitted she was unprepared to handle the "weird" media circus that erupted from SOUR but felt more confident approaching her sophomore release.

"That was an overwhelming experience, but now I definitely feel a responsibility," she said. "I just try not to think about it during the writing process."

No matter what the true inspirations are, GUTS certainly seems to be resonating with fans as the Disney+ star spends her second-consecutive week in the top spot of Billboard's Artist 100 chart.

Cover photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP

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