Olivia Rodrigo imitating Passportgate was not on our 2023 bingo card, but here we are.
Ever since the release of Driver’s License in 2021, Olivia Rodrigo has quickly risen to fame, with every song she’s subsequently released rising up the charts. Everyone wondered could her second album Guts possibly live up to the success of Sour, and the release of her two singles “Vampire” and “Bad Idea Right”, it certainly seems like she’s hit another home-run.
While promoting the new album, Rodrigo sat down with the BBC to recite the copy of several viral videos, one of which was none other than Passportgate, where Nadine Coyle lied about her age to get onto Popstars: Ireland. For most readers, no introduction will be necessary; knowing this clip word for word is an engrained in our DNA as loving potatoes, or feeling immense amounts of shame for no apparent reason.
But Rodrigo, who wouldn’t even have been born when this fateful incident occurred, had no idea what she was about to witness.
After attempting to read out the script, falling over the surname Coyle, pronouncing it more like “quail”, the Jealousy singer watches the infamous clip, saying: “Oh no, I could feel her heart stop when she said that” before going on to quip, “she’s so pretty”. She was amazed to hear Nadine did not win Popstars: Ireland, but not as surprised as she was to hear that One Direction didn’t win X Factor the year they competed (which is kind of fair enough).
We’re not sure what disappoints us more. That this iconic moment is labelled as UK culture, or a Bri’ish lesson, or that Olivia Rodrigo clearly doesn’t know who Nadine Coyle is, and quite possibly doesn’t know who Girls Aloud are as a result.
In all fairness, we can’t really blame Rodrigo for this; when “Sound of the Underground” was released in 2003, she was only 3 months old.
We can only hope she becomes more familiar with Girls Aloud’s music after this interview. I would personally love to see a collaboration between Rodrigo and Coyle, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé Telephone style.
Header images via YouTube
READ ON:
– You can actually light a virtual candle for someone in Knock (and who knew)
– Loyal pup who comforted owner through chemo crowned Nose of Tralee
– ‘Our world just completely stopped’ Kathryn Thomas moved to tears by Clare Rose’s story
