echo With the commencement of the 2025 Grammys, there were certainly a myriad of jaw-dropping moments. From Kendrick Lamar winning ‘Song of the Year’ with his hit diss track ‘Not Like Us’, to the whole Grammy audience singing along to Chappell Roan’s ‘Pink Pony Club’, and lastly as ‘Cowboy Carter’ by Beyonce wins ‘Album of the Year’; we’re profusely astonished by unending surprises.
The Grammy Awards are undeniably one of the most significant events in the music industry, giving fans an opportunity to see their favourite artists interact. However, a small interaction that occurred during the event was certainly one that couldn’t go by unnoticed, as it essentially marked the end of an era and also the beginning of a new friendship.
During the 2025 Grammys, our two pop culture girlies, Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter, were seen hugging it out, finally putting the ‘drivers license’ and ‘because i liked a boy’ drama behind them. Countless netizens were found rejoicing over the long-awaited reunion, stating that ‘War is officially over’ and ‘The world is healing!’ It is apparent that fans from all over the world were in love with the interaction, some even hoping that this would eventually lead to the two collaborating in the future. But why did this seemingly simple hug between two incredibly talented artists break the internet?
TikTok: @yagirlgabby_
Well, let’s break the timeline down for you, shall we?
2019
Olivia first rose to fame through her acting career in the Disney+ series ‘High School Musical: The Musical’ , where she met her future lover, Joshua Bassett. Coincidentally, the two were on-screen love interests as characters Nini and Ricky, which were essentially a spin-off of Gabriella and Troy from the original High School Musical movies. The two were seen performing duets and writing songs together, even frequently posting selfies with each other on Instagram. Their on-screen chemistry was undoubtedly reflected in real life, and although their relationship was never officially confirmed, the undeniable spark between them made it clear—love was in the air.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Olivia and Joshua (center)
July – December 2020
Joshua Bassett was seen attending a ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign alongside ‘Girl Meets World’ Disney star Sabrina Carpenter. According to an onlooker at the protest, he was even seen kissing her forehead. The occurrence quickly sparked speculation from the public regarding Olivia and Joshua’s relationship, leading netizens to suspect that their off-screen romance unfortunately came to its end.
Seemingly in response to the emergence of this new relationship, Olivia posted a TikTok video eating a muffin while her song “All I Want” which originated from HSMTM played in the background. In the video, she is seen mouthing the lyrics: “All I want is a good guy / Are my expectations far too high?” The lyrics, combined with her caption “And that’s on failed relationships” became evidence that solidified netizen’s suspicions of their split.
Later during Halloween, Joshua and Sabrina were once again seen in public together, this time even having matching outfits as Lavaboy and Sharkgirl, certainly soft-launching their relationship. As the icing on the cake, he proceeded to respond to an interview question on Chicks in the Office regarding Olivia, stating that “she’s a homie for sure.” Well, “homie” certainly isn’t the correct term of endearment for a significant other, so to call someone who you once had romantic relations with a “homie” was probably not the best decision made!
January 2021
In the midst of the pandemic, Olivia released her megahit debut single, “Driver’s License” which hit No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it became one of the songs that was constantly blasting on every radio station, securing the foundation for her newfound singing career. The record-breaking single hinted at a love interest who found a new girl, leading fans to speculate that she was addressing the relationship between Joshua and Sabrina.
“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,” – lyrics from Drivers License
Well, people couldn’t help but pinpoint the details that matched Sabrina’s description, with her iconic blond hair and four-year age difference from Olivia, there were definitely pretty obvious hints circulating around. However, despite Olivia’s obvious-not so obvious dig at the couple, Joshua still promoted Driver’s License on his Instagram story, referring to it as “such a great song”.
As rumours flew around in the Internet, in an interview with Billboard, Olivia was seen responding to the gossip saying: “I don’t really subscribe to hating other women because of boys. I think that’s so stupid, and I really resent the narrative that was being tossed around.” However, despite addressing the rumours, there was still deep animosity between fans of the two popstars, with both bombarding the comment sections of the other’s fav, it was the starting point of the iconic ‘beef’.
Although Joshua first showed support for Olivia’s single, showcasing that the stars remained amicable with each other, there was a sudden shift in narrative when he unexpectedly released his new song “Lie Lie Lie”. In the song, he sings “I know what you say about me / I hope that it makes you happy / You can’t seem to get me off your mind.” Although he explained that the song was about the breakdown of a friendship and not a love triangle as widely assumed, it still caused massive speculation as many found the timeline despicable. Having teased this single since 2019 and only releasing it shortly after Olivia’s debut, fans couldn’t help but believe that this was him throwing shade at her breakup ballad, adding fuel to the bad blood that was already boiling in the situation.
Drivers License, by Olivia Rodrigo
February 2021
Sabrina, who was silent during the January fiasco, finally decided to give her response by releasing her hit single “Skin”. At the time, the line “Maybe you didn’t mean it / Maybe blonde was the only rhyme,” was widely interpreted as a direct reference to Olivia’s lyric of Joshua’s love interest being blonde. She added: “You’re telling it how you see it/ Like truth is whatever you decide/ Some people will believe it/ And some will read in between the lines/You’re putting me in the spotlight/ But I’ve been under it all my life.”
Despite popular belief that the song was directed towards Olivia, Sabrina had addressed the rumour in a now-deleted Instagram post, claiming that it “isn’t calling out one single person.” She further explained during an interview with PEOPLE that “I wasn’t bothered by a few lines in a (magnificent) song and wrote a diss track about it.” “Some lines address a specific situation, while other lines address plenty of other experiences I’ve had this past year.” Hence, it seemed that although both stars released songs that could be interpreted as directly calling each other out, their respective responses of referring to their singles as ‘impersonal’ increased the sense of ambiguity surrounding the ‘beef’, leaving fans cynical and pointing fingers towards each other.
Similar to “Drivers License”, Joshua showed immense support for the single on Instagram, claiming the song has “Been stuck in my head since I heard it. Congratulations @sabrinacarpenter on ‘Skin,’ the new label, & all that’s to come.” The two had also decided to delay their collaboration on “We Both Know” as Joshua had concerns about the possibility of the song being overshadowed by the ongoing drama. “You shouldn’t live to please everybody, but at the same time, there are ways to be sensitive to situations where maybe [the duet] has a better chance at a different time,” he told Billboard.
Concurrently, Saturday Night Live (SNL) released a sketch that incorporated “Drivers License”, whereby Regé-Jean Page, Beck Bennett, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Alex Moffat, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang portrayed a group of ‘manly men’ playing blizzards when the song starts playing on the jukebox. The men were seen professing their love for the heartbreaking ballad, even stating “I gotta hear that freaking bridge again, man.” Olivia, obviously ecstatic about the sketch, claims that it was the ‘Best Birthday Present Ever’ as she celebrated her 18th birthday on the same day. Joshua, on the other hand, had a contrasting reaction to the sketch, as he posted a TikTok video of him enthusiastically opening up his laptop after his ‘friend’ told him that he appeared on SNL, later shutting his laptop and staring blankly at the screen when one of the men says that he likes the song because his “b**ch ex Gina is Joshua Bassett.” With “Happy & Sad” by Kacey Musgraves playing in the background and the caption “Dream come true?”, it was obvious that he held mixed feelings towards the situation.
Olivia’s Instagram story regarding the SNL sketch
March 2021
Olivia finally addresses the ‘feud’ between her and Sabrina when she appeared on the radio show Radio.com. During the show, she stated that they hardly ever had any interactions, “I think we’ve met once or twice in passing, but I’ve never had a conversation with her.” She also added that “I actually don’t know her at all.”
Regarding “Skin”, Olivia denied any possibility of a reply track, explaining that “I don’t think I could write a song that was meaningful or emotional about somebody that I don’t know.”
May 2021
Things certainly took a turn when Joshua Bassett suddenly came out as a part of the LGBTQ community. The first traces of his hidden sexuality occurred when he described singer Harry Styles as ‘hot’ during an interview, which he later confirmed was his ‘coming out video’. In addition to the interview, he made a follow-up on Instagram addressing it, writing, “My entire life people have told me my sexuality. People have shamed me for things they know nothing about. I want to say thank you to those of you who stand for love and acceptance.” He continued, “Love who you love shamelessly. It’s ok to still be figuring out who you are. Life’s too short to let ignorance and hatred win. I choose love,”, ending the text with multi-coloured hearts (perhaps referencing his sexuality again).
He officially came out as a member of the LGBTQ community in an interview with GQ, stating that he “wasn’t joking” and “I stood behind every word I said.”
September 2021
Once again, Sabrina attempts to shut down rumours about her single “Skin” as a diss track to Olivia. In a Teen Vogue interview, she explained that “I felt like in that moment, the most honest thing would be to put it out when it was accurately reflecting what was going on in my life. ” She further added that “Because that’s literally all I ever do is write about my life and my situations, not just my life, but the way I see the world through situations I’m experiencing, people I’m experiencing. Then it’s kind of on everyone else and what they choose to make it about.”
December 2021
Joshua confirms that he’s single during an interview with GQ. “I think that’s something that’s been good about this last little bit: I’m good on my own. I don’t need somebody else,” he continued.
May 2022
The two women appeared to make peace after the ‘love triangle’ drama at the 2022 Met Gala. Both spotted in exquisite outfits, the two were seen having a private conversation, with Olivia ‘furrowing’ her brow as she conversed with Sabrina. Despite having no details about the conversation, fans were elated about the exchange, “Olivia and Sabrinaaaaa!!!!!! Bff? I say yes.”, certainly foreshadowing for what was about to occur almost 3 years later.
Olivia (left) and Sabrina (right) at the 2022 Met Gala
July 2022
Sabrina released “Because I Liked a Boy”, which referenced the drama that happened the year before. In the chorus of the song, she sings, “Now I’m a homewrecker, I’m a sl*t/ I got death threats filling up semi trucks/ Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice/ All because I liked-/ I’m the hot topic on your tongue, I’m a rebound gettin’ ‘round stealin’ from the young/ Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice/ All I because I liked a boy.” The song aptly reflected her relationship with Joshua and the massive hate train that she underwent during that period, presenting to us the sheer emotional turmoil that befuddled her.
During an interview with Rolling Stone, Sabrina explained the inspiration for that song, revealing that it “came from a really real place in [her] life.” “It was very therapeutic to write that song from hindsight and being like, ‘Wow, one thing leads to another, and things can really get out of hand,'” she further added. Olivia did not write a song in response to this.
Who are the two dating now? You might be wondering….
Ever since the “Driver’s License” drama, Olivia and Sabrina have been seen going out with other people. In the case of Olivia, she dated Adam Faze in 2021 but broke up after a year. She later had a short-term relationship with Zack Bia, that lasted for merely two months and is now in a loving relationship with British actor and heartthrob, Louis Partridge.
Sabrina, on the other hand, was rumoured to have dated actor Dylan O’Brien in 2022 and singer Shawn Mendes in 2023. However, the relationship with Mendes was later confirmed in her new album, Short n’ Sweet, referencing yet another love triangle she ended up in through the song “Taste”. In December 2023, Sabrina was spotted with actor Barry Keoghan and later confirmed their relationship. The actor even appeared in the music video for her viral single, “Please Please Please”. However, the pair called it quits after a year of dating.
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This year (2025), the two amazingly talented pop stars finally reunited, which explicitly indicates that the ‘beef’ between them has officially come to an end.
There’s nothing better than our two favs coming together and conquering the world! So…. What’s next? A photoshoot? Or maybe even better, a collab? We’ll just have to wait and see!
Written by: Vanessa
Edited by: Ashley
