Olivia Rodrigo has responded to criticism over a babydoll dress she wore during a performance in Spain, calling the backlash a reflection of how society normalizes pedophilia and perpetuates sexist attitudes toward women.
Backlash Over the Outfit
The pop singer faced online controversy after wearing a short, puffy floral dress while performing her single Drop Dead at Barcelona’s Teatre Grec on 8 May 2026. She also wears a similar style on the cover of her upcoming album. In an interview with the New York Times’ Popcast, Rodrigo expressed her distress over the criticism.
“That’s been making me so upset,” she said. “What’s really disturbing is I feel like I have worn outfits that are revealing on stage. Like, I’ve been on stage in like a sparkly bra, little shorts, which is my right. That’s fun. I felt cool and comfortable in that. And that wasn’t ‘inappropriate’ – but me fully covered up in a dress that people deem to be childlike was inappropriate.”
Normalizing Pedophilia
Rodrigo argued that the criticism reveals a deeper cultural issue. “I think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture,” she added. “And also it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls since we’re so little, which is like, ‘Don’t wear that because then a man is going to sexualize your body and it’s your fault.’ Like, it’s so weird.”
The singer pointed out that the babydoll dress is an iconic style for 1990s female punk stars, including Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love, who are her heroes. “I didn’t think I looked sexy in that at all,” Rodrigo said. “I was like, ‘This is so cool. I feel like I look like Kathleen Hanna or Courtney Love.’”
Support and New Album
Following the backlash, Courtney Love posted Instagram stories in support of Rodrigo. The singer is promoting her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, set for release on 12 June. The lead single, Drop Dead, has been praised for its catchy melody. Rodrigo noted that the new album explores lighter themes, focusing on joy, love, and passion, a departure from her earlier ballads like Drivers License and Vampire.
Last year, Rodrigo headlined the UK’s Glastonbury festival. In October, she criticized the White House for using her music in anti-immigration videos, calling it “racist, hateful propaganda.” Her recent single The Cure features a video where she wears a pink nurse’s outfit. She has announced a fall US tour, with UK and Europe dates to follow early next year.
