Olivia Rodrigo Almost Cut This Lyric From ‘Vampire’ Because ‘It’s Not Relatable’

Olivia Rodrigo just revealed that while writing “Vampire,” she almost put a stake through one of the lyrics at the heart of her new single’s message.

Speaking with Audacy’s The Julia Show, the 20-year-old pop star confessed that she and co-writer Dan Nigro went back and forth over including the phrase “fame f—er” in the chorus of “Vampire,” which scorches an ex-boyfriend for leeching off her stardom and exploiting their relationship. “Some people said, ‘It kind of isolates you from people, you can’t really say things like that in song, it’s not relatable,’ yada, yada, yada,” she shared.

“I totally get and saw where they were coming from,” Rodrigo continued. “I think the song isn’t about fame f—ing, I think it’s more about someone being manipulative and sucking you dry, using you for all you’re worth. I think that’s a universal theme, and I also think fame is more easily accessible now than it has ever been. It’s not just people in LA and Hollywood that have to deal with that.”

Widely believed to be written about Rodrigo’s rumored ex-boyfriend Zack Bia, “Vampire” made an angsty splash on the charts following its June 30 release. Temporarily dethroning Morgan Wallen’s 13-week reign at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, the bitter-tasting track became Rodrigo’s third single to debut at No. 1 following Sour‘s “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”

The former Disney starlet also touched on why she chose “Vampire” to mark both the lead single off her upcoming album Guts as well as her first release since her 2021 debut record. “It was a song that felt really special to me, it was always really important when I looked through all the songs we had,” Rodrigo explained. “It’s a step forward and hints at everything that’s to come in the next album.”

“I feel a lot more sure of myself now,” she added. “I feel sure of who I am and what I want to do and what I want to say and the people I want to surround myself with… I’m still figuring lots of stuff out and thoroughly confused about lots of other aspects of life, but I’m definitely getting clear on more things.”

Check out Rodrigo’s Julia Show interview below: