Olivia Rodrigo has responded to online backlash over a babydoll dress she wore during a performance in Spain, arguing that the criticism reflects a troubling cultural normalisation of paedophilia. The singer faced comments after wearing a short, puffy floral dress while performing her single 'Drop Dead' at Barcelona's Teatre Grec on 8 May. A similar style appears on the cover of her forthcoming album.
In an interview with the New York Times' Popcast, Rodrigo said the reaction had upset her deeply. She contrasted the criticism with her experience of wearing more revealing outfits, such as a sparkly bra and shorts, which she said were not deemed 'inappropriate'. 'But me fully covered up in a dress that people deem to be childlike was inappropriate,' she said. 'I think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture.'
The singer added that the rhetoric reflects a message girls are taught from a young age: 'Don't wear that because then a man is going to sexualize your body and it's your fault.' She noted that the babydoll style is iconic among 1990s female punk stars, including Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love, whom she cited as heroes. Love later showed support for Rodrigo on Instagram Stories.
Rodrigo is promoting her third album, 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love', due for release on 12 June. The Guardian's Laura Snapes praised its lead single 'Drop Dead' for its 'melody destined to stalk listeners’ brains all summer'. Rodrigo has described the album as exploring lighter themes of joy, love and passion, a departure from her earlier heartbreak ballads.
Last year, Rodrigo headlined Glastonbury and criticised the White House for using her music in anti-immigration videos, calling it 'racist, hateful propaganda'. She has announced a US tour for autumn, with UK and European dates to follow early next year.
