Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage
Who Is Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Vampire’ About? Breaking Down the Fan Speculation and Clues
She did it again! Olivia Rodrigo managed to perfectly nail the feelings of angst and heartbreaking reminiscence in the pop rock ballad “Vampire.” Since the song’s June 2023 release, fans of the singer-songwriter have theorized who the hit was written about.
Who Is ‘Vampire’ About?
In the cathartic anthem off of her sophomore album, Guts, Olivia sings about a “bloodsucker, fame f–ker” who “sold [her] for parts.” Fan speculation immediately grew when snippets of the tune were released online, comparing the song’s lyrics to two of Olivia’s past relationships.
In June 2021, the Disney Channel alum was linked to Adam Faze. Olivia was 18 years old at the time of their romance. The pair ended their relationship in 2022 after more than six months of dating.
“What if ‘Vampire’ is about the relationship with Adam Faze and the age gap?” one fan questioned on Twitter before referencing Twilight. “Vampire is a creature that ‘does not age’ but actually has a lot of age. Like when Edward was a few dozen or hundreds of years old and dated a teenager.”
Shortly after her breakup from the producer who was six years her senior, Olivia moved on with DJ Zack Bia in February 2022. By the early summer, it seemed like their relationship ran its course.
“Oh so ‘Vampire’ is definitely about Zack Bia … the fame f–ker lyric really gave it away,” another fan speculated on Twitter.
Although fans have been convinced that “Vampire” is about the New York native, he thinks otherwise.
“I don’t think it’s really about me. I think the Internet just ran with it,” Zack told GQ on September 18. “Look, I’m in the industry so I know how a song gets made. We hung out, we’re both busy, and we ended up not furthering our relationship. There was never any drama, you know?”
After setting the record straight, Zack applauded Olivia for making an “awesome” single and “heartbreak song for the summertime.”
Is ‘Vampire’ About Taylor Swift?
There is a third theory about “Vampire” that’s been swirling on the internet after Olivia added Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff and St. Vincent as cowriters of her song “Deja Vu.” The credits came after many listeners pointed out similarities between Olivia’s song and Taylor’s “Cruel Summer.”
“I mean, I never want to say who any of my songs are about,” Olivia told The Guardian in response to the Taylor feud rumors. “I’ve never done that before in my career and probably won’t. I think it’s better to not pigeonhole a song to being about this one thing. I was very surprised when people thought that.”
What Has Olivia Rodrigo Said About Writing ‘Vampire’?
On Instagram, Olivia opened up about the songwriting process with musician Dan Nigro.
“Writing this song helped me sort through lots of feelings of regret, anger and heartache,” she shared in a June 2023 post. “It’s one of my favorite songs on the album and it felt very cathartic to finish. I’m so happy it’s in your hands now and I hope it helps you deal with any bloodsuckers in your life.”
