WATCH: Olivia Rodrigo surprises fans with 'Godfather of Goth' collab and performance

WATCH: Olivia Rodrigo surprises fans with 'Godfather of Goth' collab and performance

The 'Driver's License' singer is living her dream by teaming up with one of her biggest musical heroes.

Olivia Rodrigo playing a pink guitar
Olivia Rodrigo / YouTube ('Drop Dead' music video)

Most people might look at Olivia Rodrigo and see the "typical" superstar, a girl who started her career at Disney Channel and sings love songs about the boys who break her heart.

But what has been a shock to fans and critics alike is the 23-year-old Gen Z's quite gothic music tastes.

Recently, the singer revealed in an interview that she has been listening to a lot of PJ Harvey and Fiona Apple and is immensely inspired by them.

These two artists are known for their experimental take on music, combining all kinds of genres and can be classified as raw, unfiltered jazz-punk-rock.

Knowing this, it's no surprise that Rodrigo is a massive The Cure fan.

During her headline performance at Glastonbury Festival in 2025, she was joined by The Cure lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith on stage.

The two performed some of the legendary goth-rockers' biggest songs, including 'Friday I'm in Love' and 'Just Like Heaven'.

Now, Olivia Rodrigo is experiencing a "Somebody pinch me!!!" moment unlike anything you could imagine.

In a newsletter to her fans, she included a heartfelt letter to her idol after it was announced that she had collaborated with Smith on a song for her new album, 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love'.

She also shocked those attending her Primavera Sound performance in Barcelona when she brought Smith back on stage.

This time, the two singers didn't have to cover a different song; instead, they sang their duet for the first time ever on stage.

Rodrigo wrote about this surreal experience: "I’ve been insanely excited to tell you guys about this song & it’s been so hard to keep it a secret! It’s the first feature I’ve ever done on an album and I actually cannot believe I got to do it with Robert Smith!"

“Somebody pinch me!!! Robert has been soundtracking my life for as long as I can remember. He has written some of my favorite [sic] songs of all time. His music moves me & inspires me to a degree that is hard to put into words. I’ve also been lucky enough to spend time with him over the last year & experience first hand his generosity & graciousness.”

Finally, she said, “I am in disbelief that this song exists and I cannot wait for it to come out officially!”

Together, the musicians gave the tender ballad a proper live debut, as they sang the lyrics, “My head is spinning, and my stomach is sick/ Say I’m in love, so it’s hard to admit/ I can’t eat, I can’t sleep/ I think you’re what’s wrong with me.”

Watch the performance here:

Olivia Rodrigo's new album 'You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love' drops on Friday, 12 June

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Image: Olivia Rodrigo / YouTube ('Drop Dead' music video)

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