Why Olivia Rodrigo is calling out disturbing dress backlash

Olivia Rodrigo isn't holding back after facing intense online backlash over a recent outfit choice. The Grammy-winning pop star called the criticism surrounding a pink floral babydoll dress she wore during a recent performance not just upsetting, but deeply disturbing.

The controversy started earlier this month during Rodrigo's Spotify concert in Barcelona, Spain, where she debuted her new single, "Drop Dead." Despite wearing far more revealing outfits in the past without any major uproar, this specific covered-up, puffed-sleeve dress sparked a fierce online debate, News.Az reports, citing NBC News.

Speaking on a New York Times podcast, Rodrigo explained why the backlash targeted the outfit: it was deemed "childlike."

According to the singer, the public's reaction exposes a much deeper, darker issue. "It just shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture," Rodrigo stated. She slammed the toxic rhetoric often fed to young girls, which forces them to modify their clothes out of fear that a man might sexualize them.

Channeling the style of her punk and rock heroes like Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love, Rodrigo emphasized that she felt cool and comfortable, with zero intention of looking "sexy." Moving forward, she refuses to let fear dictate her wardrobe, stating that changing how you dress based on how others might interpret it means "losing the plot."

Fans can expect to hear more of Rodrigo's bold artistry when her highly anticipated upcoming album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, drops on June 12.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada