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American singer Olivia Rodrigo has confirmed rumours of new music by announcing the release of her latest single, ‘Vampire.’ Rodrigo took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the news through a black and white photo of herself with the release date of June 30.

The anticipation surrounding Rodrigo’s newest work is evident. The official Instagram account for the renowned Twilight saga commented on the post, saying “Been waiting for this day! Dreams really do come true”. Many brands and celebrities have also shared their excitement for Rodrigo, including fellow singers Kid Laroii, Conan Gray and Camila Cabello, as well as the official Instagram account.

It is no surprise that Rodrigo’s latest announcement was so well-received. The ‘Deja Vu’ singer has been rapidly gaining popularity since she released her debut album Sour in 2021. Named on Forbes 30 under 30 list and Woman of the Year by Billboard at 19 years old, Rodrigo has proven herself to be a powerhouse.

First appearing on screen at the age of 12, Rodrigo gained fame by starring in Disney Channel shows. However, her passion for songwriting remained and some of her works are featured in the shows she acted in. In January 2021, she released her first single under her name, ‘Driver’s License,’ which she would go on to perform at the Grammys. From then on, there was no stopping her. Two more singles, ‘Deja Vu’ and ‘Good 4 U’, preceded the release of her Grammy-winning album Sour. Her songs made waves in the music industry, leaving artists reeling from the impact the then-19-year-old singer had.

However, Rodrigo’s journey was not easy. Her music career has been surrounded by controversies since it began. Three out of the 11 songs on Sour have faced allegations of plagiarism. This forced Rodrigo to grant credits to Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff twice, first for ‘1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back’ due to its similarities with Swift’s ‘New Year’s Day’ and again with ‘Deja Vu’ which was based on Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer.’

Rodrigo’s hit single ‘Good 4 U’ was also accused of sampling Paramore’s ‘Misery Business’ for which Rodrigo granted song writing credits to Paramore’s Hayley Williams and Joshua Farro. This was a particularly harsh blow for Rodrigo who composed and wrote her songs herself.

Plagiarism allegations was not the only backlash Rodrigo faced. Sour was an album dedicated to Rodrigo’s experience dealing with heartbreak and navigating relationships as a teenage girl. While this helped her gain a huge following with teenagers who related to her experiences, she also faced a lot of criticism for her songs being too immature. This was supported by Rodrigo’s silence when fellow singers Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter became targets of death threats and hate from Rodrigo’s fans. Basset and Rodrigo used to date and she wrote several songs on the album about him.

Despite her career being bombarded with accusations of plagiarism, lip-syncing, immaturity and, more seriously, her silence during the extreme hate faced by Bassett and Carpenter, Rodrigo has continued to break records and win awards doing what she loves. The young Filipino- American singer has made a name for herself as an upcoming star and perhaps even the artist of this generation. This newest phase of her career will continue to have the love and support of millions of fans globally.

We cannot wait to see what Rodrigo has in store for us and we advise you to mark your calendar for June 30 for an otherworldly experience!