Olivia Rodrigo responds to Courtney Love’s album cover plagiarism claims

Singer said she is ‘flattered’ that Love even knows who she is

Olivia Rodrigo has responded to Courtney Love’s recent claims that she copied her band Hole’s 1994 album cover.

In June, Love said Rodrigo was “rude” for copying her Living Through This album artwork for her own debut album, Sour. Both covers show the artists against a purple background, wearing tiaras and carrying a bunch of flowers.

In a since-deleted post on Instagram, Love shared the photo, tagged Rodrigo and wrote: “Spot the difference! #twinning.”

Commenting on the post, Rodrigo said: “Love u and live through this sooooo much.”

Love replied: “Olivia – you’re welcome. My favourite florist is in Notting Hill, London! Dm me for deets! I look forward to reading your note!”

In comments on her Facebook account, Love added: “It was rude of her, and [Rodrigo’s record label] Geffen not to ask myself or [Live Through This cover photographer] Ellen von unwerth.”

She also said that she awaits her flowers and a note from Rodrigo.

“I sure hope it’s long,” she said. “Does Disney teach kids reading and writing? God knows. Let’s see. Yes this is rude. Rage inducing? Honey if I had a dollar for everyone this happens? I’d be real rich!”

Now, discussing the exchange in a new GQ interview, Rodrigo has brushed off the plagiarism claims, saying: “To be honest, I’m just flattered that Courtney Love knows that I exist.”

In a three-star review of Sour, which came out in May, The Independent’s critic Helen Brown wrote: “At times, it feels as though the polite, considered Rodrigo could push ideas, emotions and melodies a little further than she does. Twenty years ago, dumped teenage girls could bawl along with Alanis Morissette as she howled: ‘Every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back I hope you feel it.’

“Sour is more restrained. In its spacey, reverb-soaked mood, it carries something of the social paralysis caused by the pandemic. Perhaps that’s because kids these days are trying harder to be reasonable. You can certainly hear Rodrigo – a therapist’s child – doing her best to see situations from all angles.”