The Huffington Post
Olivia Rodrigo on stage earlier this month Olivia Rodrigo has hit back at criticism over her new era’s signature look. In recent history, the chart-topping singer has been incorporating babydoll dresses – a mini-length style of dress with a loose, body-skimming fit – into her regular style, including on stage , in paparazzi pictures and in the music video for her number one hit Drop Dead . The babydoll dress has long been a controversial look , with past critics voicing concerns that it presents the wearer as submissive and infantilises the women who sport them. Since she’s begun wearing babydoll dresses more regularly, Olivia has been met with similar criticism , which she has now addressed for the first time. During an interview on The New York Times’ Popcast , the Grammy winner admitted that the discourse had made her “so upset” – not because her feelings were hurt by what has been said about her, but what it all indicated about the culture. “What’s really, like, disturbing is, I feel like I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage. I’ve been on stage in a sparkly bra, and little shorts, which is my right. That’s fun – I felt cool and comfortable in that. And that wasn’t [deemed] ‘inappropriate’,” she explained. “But me, fully covered up in a dress that people deem to be, like, childlike was [deemed] ‘inappropriate’. And I just think it shows how we really normalise paedophilia in our culture.” View this post on Instagram Olivia continued: “Also, it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls, since we’re so little, which is, ‘don’t wear that because then a man is going to sexualise your body and it’s your fault’. Like it’s so weird. And I didn’t think that I looked sexy in that at all.” The Good 4 U singer explained that her new look was inspired by her rock “heroes” Courtney Love and Bikini Kills frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, who have worn babydoll dresses as part of their own stage attire in the past. “I felt cool and comfortable in it,” she added. “I just think if we start dressing in a way that’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t want some freak to think that I am sexy like a baby’, or some crazy thing like that. I just think it’s like losing the plot a little bit.” She concluded that she is mainly concerned about her younger female fans who might be reading about the debate. “You shouldn’t be responsible for some guy sexualising you in a way that was never your intention,” she insisted. Olivia on wearing babydoll dresses via Popcast on Instagram! “What’s really disturbing is I have worn outfits that are like, maybe revealing on stage, which is my right. I felt fun and comfortable in that. And like that wasn’t inappropriate, but me, fully covered up in a dress… pic.twitter.com/kVU7805m16 — Olivia Rodrigo Daily (@DailyRodrigo) May 27, 2026 Olivia is currently on the promo trail for her much-anticipated third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, which is due for release on Friday 12 June. The album’s lead single Drop Dead became the singer’s fourth UK number one upon its release in April, and was quickly followed by her latest release The Cure, which is on course to reach number two this week . READ MORE: Olivia Rodrigo Rocks Out At Versailles As She Launches Next Era With New Music Video Olivia Rodrigo's Favourite Sex And The City Storyline Inspired Songs On Her New Album Olivia Rodrigo Falls Through The Stage In Bizarre Accident During Concert
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