What the hell?
Many fans of Olivia Rodrigo and Avril Lavigne weren’t thrilled when Ed Sheeran compared the two artists in an interview with the radio show “Most Requested Live.”
“I love Olivia Rodrigo,” Sheeran said on the show Sunday. “I don’t know if she would like this comparison, but I’ve been saying for years the world needs a new Avril Lavigne.”
“You know, like a girl who rocks out and writes the song, and she’s 17, and she’s fantastic,” the “Shape of You” crooner added.
Both women came out with their smash-hit debut singles — Lavigne’s “Complicated” in 2002 and Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” in January — in their late teens. Both artists also write their own music.
But when Sheeran’s remark made its way to Twitter after his interview, many of Rodrigo and Lavigne’s fans pointed out that both female artists are individuals, and that Lavigne is still releasing music.
Although Sheeran’s comment may have come off as unfairly pigeonholing both women, other people on Twitter have also made the comparison — even before he said anything.
“Finally heard Olivia Rodrigo on the radio for the 1st time. Literally thought it was Avril Lavigne,” one tweeter said last Tuesday.