Olivia Rodrigo's Surprise "Traitor" Video Is Giving Fans Taylor Vibes
This had to be intentional, right?
Olivia Rodrigo already has a slew of fierce music videos under her belt, but her latest is showing a softer side. The pop star released the official video for her ballad "traitor" on Oct. 21, and it's sure to pull at your heartstrings. BRB while I grab the tissues and watch Olivia Rodrigo's music video for "Traitor" on loop. Oh, and you’ll want to keep an eye out for what fans think is a Taylor Swift-inspired scene at one point in the video.
Rodrigo dropped the visual without warning, so it was the ultimate surprise for fans. And as if that wasn’t enough of a treat, she seemed to include a special nod to Swift with one particular scene. As fans quickly pointed out, the scene of Rodrigo swimming in a dress is strikingly similar to the scene in Swift’s “Lover” video, where she did the same.
Of course, Rodrigo and Swift are total besties, and have continuously supported each other throughout their careers. So, I personally think the similarities were intentional. (Although, plagiarism controversies are frequent in the music industry, so ya never know!)
Still, much of the chatter surrounding the video was about the scene seemingly inspired by “Lover.”
You can watch the “traitor” video for yourself below. The scene of Rodrigo swimming in a dress starts at 2:40.
The “traitor” video isn’t the first time Rodrigo has paid tribute to Swift. The singer interpolated Swift’s 2017 song “New Year’s Day” on her Sour track "1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back.” During a visit to The Zach Sang Show in May, she explained why she decided to interpolate the song.
“We interpolated ‘New Year’s Day,’ which is Taylor’s song from Reputation,” she said. “I came up with the '1 Step Forward’ concept and I sort of wrote a verse and a chorus. I was in the car on a road trip, and when I got home, I decided to sing it over the chords of ‘New Year’s Day.’ I think they’re really beautiful chords. I was lucky enough to get that approved, and it’s on the record now.”
No word yet on whether Swift has seen Rodrigo’s new video, but chances are she’ll be touched by the subtle nod to her own work. After all, she’s been championing Rodrigo on from the start.
