Olivia Rodrigo has shared that she was ‘so upset’ after the online reaction to her so-called ‘baby doll’ dress.
The 23-year-old artist wore a short-sleeved floral babydoll dress while performing in Barcelona, Spain on May 8.
The appearance, during Spotify’s Billions Club show, quickly sparked debate across social media. Some critics called the outfit ‘inappropriate’ and questioned why ‘heavily sexualized pop stars are dressing themselves as little girls’.
Rodrigo has since responded to the backlash in an interview on The New York Times’ Popcast, describing the wider response as ‘disturbing’.
“I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage,” she said, referring to ‘sparkly bras’ and ‘little shorts’ which she felt ‘cool and comfortable in.
“And that wasn’t inappropriate, but me, fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike, was inappropriate?” she questioned on the podcast. “I just think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture.”
“And also it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls since we’re so little, which is like, ‘Don’t wear that because then a man is going to sexualize your body and it’s your fault,'” – which she said was ‘so weird’.
She went on to say she didn’t ‘feel sexy at all,’ in the babydoll dress, adding that her look was influenced by her ‘cool heroes’ Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love.
Rodrigo also spoke about feeling strongly protective of younger women and girls, and said she wants to defend their right to ‘dress however they want’.
Many fans supported her comments, with one writing: “Just an excellent, well thought out answer.”
Another added: “The perfect answer btw. Don’t think she could’ve said it any better. Preach it girl.”
Before the latest controversy, the good 4 u singer discussed styling for her Drop Dead music video with Vogue, where she talked about her fondness for the babydoll aesthetic.
“I just remember being younger and having pictures of Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland from all these riot grrrl punk bands in their babydoll dresses, just owning it,” she told the publication.
The singer has also recently had to comment on other online chatter, including speculation about a feud between her and Sabrina Carpenter.
“It’s just people just get weird and clickbaity — it’s all love, though. I’ve talked to her many times,” she told British Vogue.
Olivia Rodrigo’s complete interview on The New York Times Popcast is expected to be published tomorrow on the Popcast’s YouTube channel.