Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray don’t mean to be traitors to one another.
However, the Grammy winner and “Heather” singer admitted that they both have almost kept each other from releasing some of their biggest hits as singles.
As Olivia told Interview magazine in a dual interview published Aug. 15, “We notoriously give each other bad advice sometimes about samples.”
The 22-year-old specifically recalled, “On Superache, you played me ‘Memories,’ which turned out to be the biggest hit on the album.”
“Everyone loved it,” Olivia shared. “And I remember hearing it for the first time being like, ‘I just think you have better songs.'”
However, she also revealed that while there was, of course, no cruel intent, Conan nearly did the same to her when she released her 2023 sophomore album.
“When I played you Guts, I played you ‘Vampire’ and I was like, ‘Isn’t this good?'” she said. “And he’s like, ‘Not for a first single.'”
And Conan fessed up to that reaction, quipping, “I was like, ‘It’s OK.'”
Olivia added, “We’re notoriously wrong about each other’s songs. We’re just too close to it and can’t see the forest of the trees.”
One person who isn’t too close to know when she hears a hit? Olivia’s mom, Jennifer Rodrigo.
“You know who was always rooting for ‘Vodka Cranberry’?” Conan asked Olivia. “Your mom.”
Indeed, Olivia shared that loving Conan’s artistry is a family affair.
“My mom’s such a huge Conan fan,” she emphasized. “My whole family, actually. They travel miles to see you in concert.”
Conan and Olivia’s friendship does go way back. While they became close due to both working with producer Dan Nigro, Conan first connected with the Grammy winner online during her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series days.
“I messaged her because I’d heard a song she’s written years ago called ‘All I Want,'” Conan said on Today in June 2022, “and that was the best song I’d heard in a long, long time.”
Since then, the pair has come a long way, supporting each other as they put out new music and perform on tour.
As Conan told Rolling Stone that same month, “It’s always nice to have friends that you can depend on. [Fame] is a very confusing thing, and it’s nice to have people that you can relate to and find comfort in.”
For more of Olivia through the years, read on.
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