Talk about a young lover scorned: Joshua Bassett is calling out his ex-girlfriend Olivia Rodrigo for “‘messing with my life as a career move.”
Bassett appears to shade Rodrigo in a series of savage new songs — more than a year after their bitter break up.
The 20-year-old released three new singles on Thursday, all of which seemingly reference his soured relationship with Rodrigo, 18.
The couple met on the set of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” back in 2019, and although they never explicitly confirmed their relationship, they didn’t deny widely-held speculation that they were an item.
In January of this year, however, fans theorized that Bassett had brutally dumped Rodrigo for another woman after she released her break-up anthem, “Driver’s License.”
Rodrigo went on to release “Sour” — an album full of break-up songs, with track titles including “Traitor.”
Bassett’s three new singles were released on Thursday, sending teen Twitter wild.Getty Images
Teens turned on Bassett, believing he has broken Rodrigo’s heart — but the young star is now hitting back in his own new songs, attempting to correct the record.
“”If you get to tell your truth / Then so do / And it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy,” Bassett sings on the track “Crisis” — one of his three songs released Thursday.
The lyrics continue: “Half the s–t you’re saying’s only half true / Messing with my life as a career move / I can’t help but wonder why you won’t make it end.”
“I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over/ But you sensationalize, keep fanning the fire for the headlines.”
Bassett and Rodrigo met in 2019. They are pictured together in November of that year.Getty ImagesIn the second single, titled “Secret,” Bassett appears to take another swipe at Rodrigo, with the lyrics: “I really hope you had your fun / Good for you foolin’ everyone / You had me tricked for 16 months.”
Similarly, the third single, “Set Me Free,” features savage lines such as: “I don’t recognize you not anymore / You’re not the love that I fell for.”
Bassett has not confirmed that the songs are about Rodrigo, and Rodrigo has not publicly responded to the release of his feisty new music.
Rodrigo and Bassett are pictured singing together in New York in October 2019.Getty Images for Elsie FestHowever, teen Twitter went wild at the release of the singles, with fans speculating about the latest installment in the Bassett/ Rodrigo saga.
“in conclusion: Joshua Bassett deserves a huge apology from the internet,” one wrote, asserting that they believe his side of the story.
“We all jumped to Olivia’s side without thinking about Joshua as a person,” another agreed.
The pair are pictured prior to their bitter split, which purportedly occurred in 2020.Disney Channel via Getty ImagesOthers stated they were still siding with Rodrigo in the lyrical back-and-forth, with one stating: “Joshua Bassett really treated a girl like s–t, watched her succeed, and move on … then 11 months later uses her art as his own gain and twisting the narrative so it makes her look at fault, proving everything she said was true.”
Another humorously chimed in saying they didn’t know who to believe, and offered an ingenious way for the exes to settle the score: “i just think Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett should settle their problems with a rap battle.”
