Taylor Swift Used Her Own Mom’s Iconic Quote to Praise Newcomer Olivia Rodrigo

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Over the weekend, Olivia Rodrigo received the highest form of flattery for her debut single, "drivers license," from music legend (and her biggest inspiration), Taylor Swift. The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star celebrated on Instagram Saturday, January 9th, that her new single ranked next to Swift on iTunes' top songs chart in the US, and the folklore singer responded the next day, "I say that's my baby and I'm really proud," an iconic comment Mama Swift once used to describe her own daughter.

Cue the happy squealing from Rodrigo—literally. The singer shared another Instagram post reacting to the comment from Swift, with the caption, "what is breathing."

While it's safe to say Rodrigo is officially on Swift's music radar, this isn't the first time the two have communicated on Instagram. During MTV's Alone Together Jam Session, which streamed on Instagram in April 2020, the 17-year-old artist made a cameo covering Swift's "Cruel Summer." Swift shared Rodrigo's performance on her own Instagram Story along with a sweet comment praising her talent and "beautiful performance."

Women supporting women—we love to see it!

Much like her idol, Rodrigo's lyrics seem to be based on her own experience with love and heartbreak. Die-hard HSMTMTS fans have taken to social media trying to decipher the lyrics behind "drivers license." Many believe the song is about Rodrigo's co-star Joshua Bassett, though they've never confirmed a relationship nor a breakup.

"Drivers license" debuted on January 8th and already has over 18.3 million streams on Spotify, placing Rodrigo firmly in the running for our next pop queen.

We'll need another single—or even better, a full album— to conclude whether Swift's comment is just her way of supporting another talented female artist or a cryptic sign that she's found her musical prodigy in Rodrigo and is ready to pass the torch. Truthfully, we'll be very, very happy with either option. That's how much we trust her opinion!