Disney star, Olivia Rodrigo, best known for her role as Nini, in Disney Plus’, High School Musical The Musical The Series, recently released her second hit song, Drivers License. The chorus rapidly spread through the popular app, TikTok, receiving attention from teens for its relatable heartbreaking lyrics and captivating vocals.  

Although popular for its emotional appeal, the success of the song is partially owed to the common speculation that Rodrigo’s hit is written about her Disney co-star and possible ex-boyfriend, Joshua Basset. Fans of their show “HSMTMTS” drew the internet’s attention through posts theorizing about their relationship and the song. Some believe that the song was just a publicity stunt, to swell Rodrigo’s career and relevance. 

Regardless of who Drivers License is directed towards, the drama surrounding it has boosted the song to number one on Billboards “Hot 100”, Apple Music’s “Top 100: Global”, and Spotify’s “Global Top 50”. In addition to its wild success on the charts, Rodrigo received congratulations from world-famous artists, Halsey, Taylor Swift, Finneas O’Connell, and more. 

Her previous hit song, All I Want, was owned by Disney, lessening the attention the song received. Although it was a huge hit and reached 6.5 million streams on Spotify, it was not eligible for any awards as it was signed to Disney. This, unfortunately, resulted in Rodrigo’s first song not reaching its full potential.  

The Drivers License music video, released on January 7th, has racked up 46 million views since its release, 11 million more viewers than her previous, All I Want. Fans in the comments described the emotional impact of the new video by saying, “Olivia Rodrigo is not just a singer, she’s a feeling.” and continued to express their love for the song with a collected, 3.1 million likes. 

Despite the dramatic speculation around Drivers License, the obvious adoration of the song by Gen Z has magnified Drivers License to its status today. Rodrigo’s emotion and relatable lyrics have without a doubt, provided comfort to heartbroken teens worldwide.