In a time where the coming year is uncertain, the weather is dreary, and seasonal depression is at its worst, “Drivers License” is exactly what many people needed in their sad playlists. One week ago, “High School Musical the Musical the Series” star Olivia Rodrigo dropped her debut single “Drivers License”. The song, detailing the woes of teenage heartbreak and the pain of seeing your ex move on, has been a hit. As of Thursday, January 14th, “Drivers License” is the most played song on Apple Music in the United States, beating established stars SZA and Morgan Wallen. On Spotify, the single has over 67 million streams. 295.6k TikTok videos use a sound clip from “Drivers License” on TikTok, with multiple trends already based on the lyrics. So, why is the song so popular?

Part of what makes this song so captivating is the story behind it. Users on social media, primarily on TikTok, made connections from some of the lyrics to Rodrigo’s alleged previous relationship with “High School Musical the Musical the Series” co-star Joshua Bassett, who taught Rodrigo how to drive when she was 16. Bassett has recently been rumored to be dating Sabrina Carpenter, another Disney star. In her song, Rodrigo writes “and you’re probably with that blonde girl/ who always made me doubt/ she’s so much older than me/ she’s everything I’m insecure about”. When a possible relationship between Rodrigo and Bassett would have occurred, she was 17 while he was 20. Carpenter, a blonde, is 21. Conspiracies about teenage love-triangles apparently offer the drama needed for a song to go viral, with tweets and videos about the drama only adding to the song’s reach. 

Bob Jones junior Salina Turner said that the single is a “masterpiece” and that while listening “you can cry, scream, and get angry- maybe smile, but mostly cry and get angry.” While the rumored Rodrigo/Bassett/Carpenter drama may just be specific to them, the song is clearly relatable to millions of people, and only continues to gain popularity. Rodrigo’s skill with crafting both catchy melodies and heart-wrenching lyrics put her high on the list of artists to watch, especially as she matures and gains experience.