Joshua Bassett has responded to "Drivers License"

Back in January 2021, Olivia Rodrigo released the single "Drivers License" which broke multiple streaming records and has racked up over a billion streams on Spotify. The song was rumoured to be about her co-star Joshua Bassett, and he has since released an EP which seems to be directed back at Rodrigo's single.

On December 3, Bassett released three songs entitled "Crisis'" "Set me Free" and "Secret'" The lyrics show how emotionally vulnerable Bassett feels and how he has been reluctant to write a song about the situation for quite some time.

In an interview with GQ, Bassett said that in the wake of the "Drivers License" "media storm", his record label wanted him to take advantage of the moment, but to him it "felt like a losing battle". He felt it was impossible for him to try and defend himself in any way. He explained why he has now released these three songs: "It was eating me alive, and I couldn't keep it in anymore."

"And honestly I didn't wanna write this. Don't know if I can, still holding back, still wanna run."

In an interview with Zach Sang, Joshua said: "I would say honestly the hardest part about this last year has been being afraid of speaking the truth and whether that's to protect certain people or whether that's to protect myself or whether that's to, whatever it might be, I think that's been the thing stopping me the most."

The lyrics to "Crisis" seem to reveal how much Bassett suffered emotionally after the backlash he received following the release of "Drivers License'" He seems to believe that Olivia messed with his life as part of a career move. After the release of this single, she did become one of the most popular female artists of all time, but it now seems it was at the expense of Bassett. Bassett sings: "if you get to tell your truth, then so do I. And it's cool if you want me to play the bad guy." At the time, Bassett actually took to his Instagram story to congratulate the singer on her new song, but she did not publicly respond to this.

"Don't you ever wonder if I'm okay after all you put me through?"

The bridge of the song allows listeners to hear an alternative side to the breakup when Bassett sings: "Weren't you the one who left in the first place? Weren't you the one who called things off? Was it an act to love me or an act to hate me?" Rodrigo's song led fans to believe that Bassett was completely in the wrong and sold her false promises, but it seems there is more to the story than she lets on. When asked who her single was about, in a Taylor Swift manner, she told Billboard: "“to me, that’s really the least important part of the song."

"My mama called cause she heard I got death threats. Oh what the hell am I supposed to do with that? I wish that I could open my eyes and the nightmare be over."

Bassett said a "crisis" began at the start of the year in January 2021 when he was hospitalised for septic shock and heart failure due to stress. There was a time period of a week where he continued to get increasingly ill and then at one critical point, felt like he was having a heart attack. When he checked into the hospital, tests were run and the doctors said to him if he had not checked in, he wouldn't have lasted 12 hours and he only had a 30% chance of surviving. He admitted that he needed help and after this acceptance, this change in mindset seemed to have a hugely positive impact on him both mentally and physically and he began to miraculously recover.

The song "Set me Free" also displays raw emotion. He sympathises with Olivia and apologises to her, as he sings "I know you feel used, I know you've been hurt, anything I did to make you feel worse, I'd take it all back if I could". He is regretful that he hurt her, but he also begs her to set him free.

"Nothing I say will ease the pain. Why must I hurt for you to feel okay?"

The final song, "Secret" is more upbeat, but is still about betrayal; it is about discovering an ex has been lying during a relationship. Bassett sings about how he defended someone against negative rumours, but in the end they were true and he was being deceived.

Bassett and Rodrigo are set to begin filming the third series of the Disney+ show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in January 2022 so tensions may be high. It is set to be on screens in 2022.