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Why Fans Think Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire” Might Be About Her Rumored Ex Zack Bia
by
emily weaver
Getty / Jeff Kravitz
Olivia Rodrigo may be this generation’s breakup-anthem queen, but she doesn’t kiss and tell. Like her music idol Taylor Swift, Rodrigo often finds solace in channeling heartbreak into lyrics, and the “Traitor” singer isn’t afraid to get exceptionally raw and honest in song – but her music is where she draws the line. Rodrigo has never confirmed any of her rumored relationships, including her highly speculated romance with “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” costar Joshua Bassett.
In her new single “Vampire,” which was released on June 30, Rodrigo once again pours her heart out about a destructive relationship. Though she hasn’t provided any hints about who the song might be about, fans have already begun to speculate that it might be inspired by her rumored ex, Zack Bia, due to one key lyric: “Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise.” Rodrigo and Bia reportedly dated for six months (more on that later), meaning that he just may be the most likely subject of Rodrigo’s characteristically searing lyrics. Of course, Rodrigo hasn’t publicly said a word about their relationship, much less any sort of heartbreak that may have resulted from it.
Rodrigo sparked similar speculation with her hit debut single “Drivers License,” which garnered an instant cult following and also led to tons of speculation about Rodrigo’s romantic life, though the artist always kept quiet about who inspired the song. “I totally understand people’s curiosity with the specifics of who the song’s about and what it’s about, but to me, that’s really the least important part of the song,” she told Billboard of “Drivers License” in 2021. “It’s resonating with people because of how emotional it is, and I think everything else is not important.”
While the singer-songwriter’s social media tends to be a relationship-free zone, eagle-eyed fans can’t help but speculate which rumored flame Rodrigo is going to write about next. Get a full rundown of Rodrigo’s alleged dating history ahead.
Related: Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray’s Friendship Moments Through the Years
Getty / Jeff Kravitz / Ethan Miller
Zack Bia (February 2022-August 2022)
On June 21, 2022, People confirmed that Rodrigo had a new love interest in her life: Zack Bia, a rising DJ and former boyfriend of singer Madison Beer. A source told the outlet that “they’ve been dating since the Super Bowl” and “really like each other.”
The pair first sparked romance rumors in April 2022 when they were photographed smiling and leaving Bar Pitti in New York City, E! News reported. Prior to that, the two were also spotted hanging out at Bia’s 2022 Super Bowl party in February of that year.
However, the pair’s relationship appeared to come to an end six months later. “Their relationship sort of fizzled. They were casually dating but haven’t spent time together in a while,” a source told Us Weekly in August 2022. “There were no issues – they both have different work schedules and different friend groups.”
Of course, since Rodrigo’s song “Vampire” references a relationship that lasted six months, fans have speculated that Bia might have inspired it – indicating that their split was messier than it might have seemed at first. Neither Rodrigo nor Bia have ever commented on the relationship.
Getty / Jeff Kravitz / Image Group LA
Joshua Bassett (2019-August 2020)
Despite all the drama and cryptic messages that unfolded between the “HSMTMTS” costars in 2021, Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett never confirmed that they were an official couple. Presumably, they met in 2019 on the set of “HSMTMTS” where they played onscreen love interests. In March 2020, Rodrigo fueled romance rumors when she teased a new song on Instagram: “I wonder what I would say if I knew back then that brown-eyed boy would be my best friend and the one I gave my heart to.”
In August 2020, speculations about the rumored pair fizzled after a JustJared report published a photo of Basset and singer-actress Sabrina Carpenter out enjoying each other’s company in LA. Fast forward to January 2021, Rodrigo releases her debut single “Drivers License,” which seemingly centered on her alleged relationship with Bassett.
Fans strongly believe that “Drivers License” is about Rodrigo and Bassett’s rumored relationship. However, they’ve both refrained from mentioning one another’s names when asked about the song’s inspiration in interviews.
“The cool thing about music is people will relate it to their own personal experience, and lately, people have been making it about other people’s experience and assuming things and just making it their own thing,” Bassett told POPSUGAR in March 2021, ahead of his self-titled-EP debut.