Share and Follow
Olivia Rodrigo’s recent separation from Louis Partridge has cast a spotlight back on the breakup that initially thrust her into the limelight, sparking speculation about Sabrina Carpenter’s involvement. Fans have long wondered if Sabrina Carpenter is the “blonde girl” mentioned in Rodrigo’s hit song “Drivers License.”
Rodrigo and Partridge ended their relationship just before the holidays, a development that has reportedly been challenging for the young star. However, heartbreak is not unfamiliar territory for Rodrigo. Her critically acclaimed album, Sour, is believed to draw heavily from her past relationship with Josh Bassett. “Drivers License” is a poignant track from that album, and fans have been speculating for years that the song alludes to Sabrina Carpenter as the “blonde girl” in the narrative.
Olivia Rodrigo recently split from her longtime love, Louis Partridge. While the holiday breakup has reportedly been getting to Rodrigo, it’s not the first time the 20-something songstress has nursed a broken heart. It is rumored that her entire album, Sour, was based on her split from Josh Bassett. The song “Drivers License” centers on a tough breakup, and fans have spent years convinced that the “blonde girl” referenced is Sabrina Carpenter. Here’s why.
Everyone believes “that blonde girl” is Sabrina Carpenter
Before Olivia Rodrigo fell in love with Louis Partridge, she was rumored to have had a romance with Josh Bassett. They were costars in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The relationship didn’t work out, but it catapulted her to fame. Well, it helped her music career if you believe fan theories that much of her album, Sour, was about her breakup with Bassett.
Not only do fans suspect the song “Drivers License” is about Bassett, but they think “that blonde girl” Rodrigo refers to is none other than Sabrina Carpenter. Months before the song was released, Rodrigo posted about “failed relationships.” Not long after that, Bassett was spotted out with Sabrina Carpenter, who is older than Rodrigo.
Once the song was released, fans theorized that the older “blonde girl” referenced had to be Carpenter, considering the timeline. Bassett and Carpenter never confirmed a romance, but their own song lyrics tell an interesting tale.
Sabrina Carpenter did seemingly respond in a song of her own
Olivia Rodrigo’s song, “Drivers License,” isn’t the only bop that has fans thinking that a love triangle existed between Rodrigo, Carpenter, and Bassett. Both Sabrina Carpenter and Josh Bassett released songs after “Drivers License” that can be interpreted as direct responses to Rodrigo’s lyrics or their past connection.
Carpenter’s song “Skin” is the most obvious. “Skin” was released not long after “Drivers License” hit the airwaves and seems to directly reference the song. Carpenter sings, “Maybe you didn’t mean it / Maybe ‘blonde’ was the only rhyme.” Carpenter has never publicly discussed the alleged tryst. Still, the song’s release timing and lyrics are pretty telling.
Bassett dealt with a significant health scare the year the alleged feud was at its fever pitch. He later released his own music that referenced a bad breakup. His song, “Doppelgänger,” centers around Bassett seeing a woman who looks like his ex-girlfriend in a coffee shop. In the song, he sings about not realizing he wasn’t over his ex. While it could be about anyone, Bassett confirmed during several interviews that the song was inspired by a real encounter. Bassett never explicitly states that he is singing about Olivia Rodrigo, but the music video makes it difficult to interpret the song any other way, given the resemblance between Rodrigo and the actor in the moody video. Rodrigo didn’t comment on the song.
