With the countless promotions and nonstop chatter heard in the hallways, the “Driver’s License” drama has become a hot topic among Gen Z worldwide. Released on Jan. 8 by actress and singer Olivia Rodrigo, the song “Driver’s License,” and the drama that followed, has been the talk of Towne Lake.  

Shortly after its release, “Driver’s License” hit #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 songs. Students quickly fell in love with the emotional aspect Rodrigo brings to the song, and many have found that they can relate to the lyrics, even if they have not experienced the exact heartbreak Rodrigo wrote about.  

“I have never personally been in a relationship, but the song represents a fear I have. [Rodrigo] sings about how she still loves her ex, and to me, that represents someone ending something with me, but I haven’t moved on,” Ryan Kennedy, junior, said. 

While the song itself has gained popularity among many, the drama behind it has also gained a noticeable amount of publicity on the social media platform TikTok. Many believe that “Driver’s License” was inspired by Rodrigo’s rumored relationship with her co-star in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” Joshua Bassett, and his rumored love interest, Sabrina Carpenter. Bassett and Rodrigo were theorized to have split sometime in mid-to-late 2020. Shortly after, Bassett was spotted with Carpenter causing fans to speculate that Bassett left Rodrigo for Carpenter, giving inspiration for Rodrigo’s song. However, many feel that TikTokers and “Driver’s License” fans are looking too deeply into this. 

“Once the song came out, some people were mad about it, and I just think it was kind of funny because people were making such a big deal about a song,” Madison Hall, freshman said. 

On Jan. 22, Carpenter fueled the drama by releasing a song of her own, “Skin.” Fans believe the song to be a response to Rodrigo’s lyrics that mention a “blonde girl older than her,” which are the supposed lyrics about Carpenter’s relationship with Bassett. Carpenter presumably responded through the line, “Maybe blonde was the only rhyme,” which many speculated was a direct slam at Rodrigo’s song.  

“I feel like if it’s supposed to be directed at [Rodrigo]; that it’s too harsh. [Rodrigo’s] song did not even bash [Carpenter],” Kaitlyn Lewis, senior, said. 

Bassett sparked questions after releasing a song of his own,”Lie Lie Lie,” but has confirmed that his song is not related to the situation. 

With the publicity the songs and the drama have received, many students theorize that this could all be a publicity stunt to promote the celebrities’ music careers.  

“I think the drama was just to promote the songs. It was a good idea because I think the songs got a lot of their popularity from it. The songs were good, though,” Breanna Welton, sophomore, said. 

Whether the drama behind it is a publicity stunt, “Driver’s License” has spread universally throughout the country. One can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or other music platforms.