What's The Real Meaning Of Vampire By Olivia Rodrigo? Here's What We Think

Here's what we think Olivia Rodrigo's heartbreaking single "Vampire" means. If you're a fan of pop music, then you're no stranger to the meteoric rise of the "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" star within the entertainment sphere. Over the course of two years, Rodrigo has tugged at the heartstrings of music listeners with her hit singles "Deja Vu" and "Drivers License." In addition to her musical and lyrical prowess, the young talent has achieved massive feats with her debut album "Sour," which dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and earned three Grammy awards.

In June, Rodrigo closed her "sour" music chapter and embarked on a new music era by releasing her track "Vampire," and announcing the release date for "Guts," her second studio album. "I am writing today to let you guys know that my sophomore album 'GUTS' is coming out September 8th," she wrote in a letter to fans (via Pop Base). "I made the bulk of this album during my 19th year on this earth, a year that for me was filled with lots of confusion, mistakes, awkwardness and good old fashioned teen angst." With "Vampire" setting the stage for her into her highly anticipated sophomore offering, we wanted to look deeper into the song's meaning and lyrical content.

Since releasing her breakup anthem "Vampire," fans have theorized that the track is about her music producer ex-boyfriend Adam Faze. "Hate to give the satisfaction asking how you're doing now, how's the castle built off people you pretend to care about?" she sings at the start of the track, per Genius. "Just what you wanted, look at you, cool guy, you got it." Olivia Rodrigo and Faze first sparked dating rumors when they were spotted holding hands at the Space Jam 2 premiere. Towards the end of the first verse, Rodrigo accuses her ex-lover of selling their relationship as a "forbidden paradise." 

As the track progresses, the "traitor" singer highlights the age gap between herself and her ex-lover, singing: "Went for me and not her, 'cause girls your age know better." During their seven-month relationship, which ended in February 2022, the pair faced scrutiny from fans due to Rodrigo being 18 and Faze being 24. Towards the end of "Vampire," the young talent expresses her disbelief over her ex's ability to lie so easily. "Oh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, f**ked up little thrill," she sings. Before their breakup was announced, some fans accused Faze of cheating on Rodrigo after a video of him kissing model Christina Burkee went viral. While all signs have pointed to "Vampire" being about Faze, a source close to Rodrigo denied the rumors. "The song isn't about Adam Faze," they revealed to People.

In addition to the Adam Faze theories, some Olivia Rodrigo fans have claimed that "Vampire" is really about Taylor Swift. Now, before we get into the meat of this idea, a brief recap is needed. In 2021, Rodrgio and Swift made headlines for their blossoming friendship, which included wholesome social media interactions and heartwarming gifts. However, things reportedly went sour –– no pun intended –– after Swift, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent were retroactively added as songwriters on Rodrigo's hit single "Deja Vu." According to Rolling Stone, the decision stemmed from the track's similarities to Swift's song "Cruel Summer." In addition to writing credits, the three music talents were given a combined 50% share of "Deja Vu," according to Billboard.

Due to the songwriting debacle, some fans have speculated that "Vampire's" chorus is about Swift. "The way you sold me for parts, as you sunk your teeth into me, oh bloodsucker, fame f**king, bleedin' me dry like a goddamn vampire," she sings. But despite the theories and speculation, Rodrigo hinted that the meaning of the song has nothing to do with a specific person. "The reason why I love "Vampire" so much, to me, it's not a song about, 'Oh, this person hurt me, this guy hurt me.' I think that's kind of surface level," she explained during an interview on SiriusXM Hits 1. "It's more about my regret and kind of beating myself up for doing something that I knew wasn't gonna turn out great."