The Ultimate Timeline: All 5 Men Who Inspired Olivia Rodrigo’s Music (Updated 2024)

Few artists in modern pop culture have turned heartbreak into a chart-topping, Grammy-winning phenomenon quite like Olivia Rodrigo. Since the explosive debut of "drivers license" in 2021, the world has been captivated not just by her raw, vulnerable lyrics, but by the question of who—or what—inspired them. For a generation that grew up on the Disney Channel, the drama behind her songs became as famous as the music itself, giving rise to the infamous "love triangle" and the subsequent, more mature heartbreak anthems on her second album, Guts.

As of late 2024, Olivia Rodrigo is enjoying a thriving relationship with English actor Louis Partridge, but her musical legacy remains intrinsically tied to the men who came before. This is the definitive, updated timeline of all the confirmed and rumored ex-boyfriends who have fueled the most honest and successful breakup anthems of the decade, from her earliest Disney romance to the older "vampires" of Hollywood.

Olivia Rodrigo's Full Dating History & Ex-Boyfriend Biographies

Olivia Rodrigo’s relationships have often mirrored the chapters of her life, from her early days on the Disney Channel to her rise as a global pop-punk icon. Her dating history is short, but intensely scrutinized, with each partner representing a distinct era of her career.

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• Ethan Wacker (The Disney Channel Romance)
  • Bio: Ethan Wacker is an American actor best known for his role as Bernie Schotz alongside Olivia Rodrigo on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark.
  • Relationship Timeline: ~2018 to early 2019. They were one of the few confirmed Disney Channel couples, often sharing cute photos together before quietly deleting them in 2019.
  • Musical Connection: This relationship predates her major songwriting career, so it is not widely believed to have inspired any of her major hits.
• Joshua Bassett (The Sour-Era Love Triangle)
  • Bio: Joshua Bassett is an American actor and singer, most famous for his lead role as Ricky Bowen in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, where he co-starred with Rodrigo.
  • Relationship Timeline: ~2019 to 2020. Their rumored on-screen and off-screen chemistry was the subject of intense fan speculation, leading to the infamous "love triangle" narrative.
  • Musical Connection: He is the widely speculated inspiration for the entirety of her debut album, Sour.
• Adam Faze (The Low-Key Producer)
  • Bio: Adam Faze is a film producer, writer, and entrepreneur who co-founded the production company Gymnasium. He was a former writer for Forbes magazine.
  • Relationship Timeline: June 2021 to early 2022. They were first spotted together at the Space Jam 2 premiere and were described as a "serious" couple before their split.
  • Musical Connection: Some fans theorize he could be one of the inspirations for songs on her Guts album, although the connection is less direct than others.
• Zack Bia (The Older Hollywood DJ)
  • Bio: Zack Bia (born Zachary Chester Philippe Bialobos) is a prominent American DJ, record executive, and music promoter who is a fixture in the Los Angeles social scene.
  • Relationship Timeline: February 2022 to August 2022. Their relationship was public, with the age gap between them (he is six years older) becoming a point of discussion among fans.
  • Musical Connection: He is the leading rumored inspiration for the Guts lead single "vampire," which speaks of an older man who used her for fame.
• Louis Partridge (The Current Golden Retriever Boyfriend)
  • Bio: Louis Patrick James Partridge is an English actor who rose to fame for his role as Lord Tewkesbury in the Netflix film Enola Holmes.
  • Relationship Timeline: October 2023 to Present (as of late 2024). The couple was spotted in London and later confirmed their relationship with public appearances, including a red carpet debut.
  • Musical Connection: There is no current evidence of him being the subject of a breakup song; he is often referred to by fans as her "golden retriever boyfriend" due to the perceived happiness of the relationship.

The "Love Triangle" Drama: Joshua Bassett and the 'Sour' Album

The most defining chapter of Olivia Rodrigo’s dating history, and the foundation of her topical authority, is the speculated relationship and subsequent breakup with her High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star, Joshua Bassett. The drama was so intense that it launched a thousand fan theories and three parallel music careers.

The narrative exploded in January 2021 with the release of "drivers license." The song's lyrics referenced an older blonde girl, which fans immediately linked to actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter, who began being seen with Bassett shortly after his rumored split from Rodrigo.

The key songs from the Sour album believed to be about Joshua Bassett include:

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• "drivers license": The song that started it all, detailing the heartbreak of getting a driving license only to drive past the house of the ex who is now with an "older blonde girl."
• "deja vu": A track about an ex doing all the same things they did together—like taking a new girlfriend out for a specific kind of ice cream—which perfectly captures the feeling of a recycled relationship.
• "good 4 u": This pop-punk anthem is a furious, sarcastic take on watching an ex move on too quickly and seemingly too easily, a perfect encapsulation of the post-breakup rage fans felt on her behalf.

While none of the parties ever explicitly confirmed the song's subjects, the public narrative solidified the "drivers license" love triangle as one of the most significant pop culture moments of the early 2020s. Both Bassett and Carpenter released their own songs ("Lie Lie Lie," "Skin") that were widely interpreted as responses, adding fuel to the fire and creating a complex, multi-sided musical conversation.

From 'Sour' to 'Guts': The Hollywood "Vampires" Who Inspired Her Evolution

Following the intense public scrutiny of the Joshua Bassett era, Olivia Rodrigo’s subsequent relationships were more private, but the breakups still informed the more mature, rock-infused sound of her 2023 album, Guts. The themes shifted from teenage heartbreak to the emotional drain and exploitation that can accompany fame, leading to the concept of the "vampire."

The most discussed inspiration for the Guts era is her short-lived relationship with DJ and record executive Zack Bia, though some speculation also includes producer Adam Faze. The common thread is the idea of an older partner who capitalizes on her youth and fame.

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• "vampire" and Zack Bia:

  The lyrics to "vampire" are a powerful takedown of a manipulative ex, with lines like "Bloodsucker, fame-f*cker, bleedin' me dry, like a goddamn vampire." The song references spending "six months of torture" with a "cool guy," which aligns closely with the six-month duration and the older, established Hollywood status of Zack Bia. The core accusation is that the ex used her for her burgeoning fame and youth, a theme that resonated deeply with fans and critics alike.

• "bad idea, right?" and "get him back!":

  These tracks, with their playful, pop-punk energy, focus on the messy, post-breakup decisions of running back to an ex, despite knowing it's a mistake. The maturity and self-awareness in these tracks show a clear progression from the raw pain of Sour, dealing with the casual nature of dating in her early twenties.

• "obsessed" and the Ex's Ex:

  The track "obsessed" from the deluxe edition of Guts explores a different kind of post-breakup fixation: obsessing over the seemingly perfect ex-girlfriend of her current or recent boyfriend. This song adds another layer of complexity to her songwriting, moving beyond the direct ex to explore the collateral damage of a new relationship, further cementing her reputation as a master of detailed, relatable emotional storytelling.

What Her Current Relationship with Louis Partridge Means for the Music

The current relationship between Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge, which began in late 2023 and has continued through 2024, marks a new, seemingly more stable chapter in her life. The public sightings of the couple in London and at major events have been characterized by a sense of ease and mutual support, a stark contrast to the high-drama, public-facing relationships of her Disney and post-Sour eras.

Partridge, known for his role in Enola Holmes, has been described in the media as a "golden retriever boyfriend," a term that suggests a healthy, uncomplicated, and happy dynamic. While fans are always eager to hear new music, the hope is that this period of stability may inspire songs about genuine happiness and contentment, rather than solely focusing on heartbreak. However, given her track record, even a "good" relationship provides a wealth of new emotions and experiences to draw from. For now, the world waits to see which chapter of her dating history—the drama of the past or the contentment of the present—will inspire her next major musical statement.