It’s the 21st century, and all celebrity clashes are publicly displayed through tweets, song lyrics, and other passive aggressive (sometimes just aggressive) social media posts.
Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo have exchanged their fair share of these in their ever-growing Taylor Swift-esque feud.
Everybody even remotely in tune with internet culture has heard of the beef between the two girls, but it is much less known that the most tragic part about this rivalry is the fact that the talented, young women are fighting over a boy. A very cute boy, sure, but just a boy. They have found themselves in probably the most controversial love triangle of 2020 with Joshua Bassett.
Rodrigo and Bassett both starred in Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical The Series which aired its first season from November 2019 until January 2020. The two were “shipped” in real life after fans fell in love with their on-screen chemistry. Although there was never real confirmation, rumors of Basset and Rodrigo dating were plentiful. In summer of 2020, Rodrigo reported through TikTok that she had been through a failed relationship, which fans believed to be with Bassett.
Fellow Disney star, Carpenter, entered the scene a few months later after she and Bassett began posting multiple pictures together, even dressing up in themed Halloween costumes together. The real drama, though, began when Rodrigo released her record-breaking, hit song “drivers license” in January of 2021. The breakup song was very clearly about her romantic relationship with co-star, Bassett, and she makes reference to a “blonde girl” that induces insecurity and doubt, who most believe to be Sabrina. Other than this, though, the song focuses on heartbreak, making no mean or hurtful comments towards anybody.
Sadly, the same cannot be said about Carpenter’s song, which she released exactly two weeks after “drivers license.” Carpenter’s song “Skin” is much more brash than Rodrigo’s dramatic ballad. Carpenter seems to throw quite a bit of shade at Rodrigo, almost flaunting her relationship with Bassett in lyrics like “You can try to get under my… skin, while he’s on mine.”
Now, I do not think that two insanely talented women should be fighting over a boy, and I am definitely always in favor of women supporting women, which is exactly why I am team Olivia on this one.
Rodrigo just turned eighteen, which means she wrote a beautifully memorable, chart-topping hit while she was a minor. On top of that, throughout all of the beef, Rodrigo has remained poised and mature, which Carpenter failed to do. Rodrigo’s song focuses on her own relationship and heartbreak, the only time she mentions Carpenter is to say that she is jealous of how pretty she is. Rodrigo’s songwriting skills were even engaging enough to catch the attention of lyrical Goddess Taylor Swift, a role which many believe Rodrigo to be the heir to.
Carpenter’s song is full of spite and revenge, which doesn’t even make sense, considering she is the older one of the two and the one dating Bassett.
Altogether, though, both songs are exceptional, and you can find me listening to either one on any given day. Both girls are extraordinarily talented, and if they need an arbitrary Disney boy to inspire great music, then I am here for it.
