Before her massive hit "drivers license" and her first album Sour, Olivia Rodrigo was just another Disney Channel kid. Not that the talented young actors aren't worth watching, but Olivia was one of many who dabbled in acting and singing/songwriting, so hardly anyone sat up and took notice until she dropped the bomb that was "drivers license."
There might have been some errors in the song, which Olivia later admitted to while confessing she had no clue the song would be a hit, but it went absolutely viral and rocketed up the charts. The result was a close, hard look at Olivia's relationship history, countless opportunities in music, and a renewed interest in her character Nini from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
What Happened With Olivia Rodrigo And Joshua Bassett On HSM?
The moment "drivers license" dropped, fans clamored to dig into Olivia Rodrigo's dating history and figure out who the song was about. Her most recent rumored ex, at the time, was Joshua Bassett, her co-star on HSM who is also a singer-songwriter.
Some fans did suspect the song could be about another ex of Olivia's, but he took to social media to deny those accusations. Joshua, meanwhile, made some statements that fans read as cagey and later appeared to clap back with his own lyrics that seemed to comment on the issue.
In the end, no one ever got a clear answer as to what happened between Olivia and Joshua, who never even confirmed they were dating, or whether Sabrina Carpenter was the third player in a love triangle gone Sour.
The thing is, Olivia's album Sour catapulted her to international fame, amplifying her spotlight on HSM and everywhere else, leading to her decision to leave the series.
Olivia Rodrigo Left High School Musical For Her Sour Tour
In past interviews, Olivia Rodrigo spoke out about her experience returning to the HSMTMTS set after the mind-blowing success of her single "drivers license." Most of the cast was clearly supportive of Olivia; even Joshua Bassett had some kind words, despite his name being tied to Olivia's divisive hit.
Because the actress-singer dove back into filming HSM after her massively successful song rose up the charts (and was still hanging there, in fact), it proved how grounded she was, and how dedicated she was to seeing her projects through.
When the news broke that Olivia was leaving the series, fans might have thought Rodrigo was simply ready for something bigger than the Disney Channel. It turns out that was partly true; Olivia eventually left the show to go on tour.
The showrunner behind HSM (Tim Federle) joked to an interviewer that Olivia "had this album that did pretty well" and thus, "the world was clamoring for [her] tour."
That was his explanation for Olivia's departure from the series, but he elaborated, "From a pure logistical standpoint, the idea of Olivia doing the entire season and doing her tour was immediately looking impossible."
The compromise, because Olivia was so invested in her character, was to make sure Nini had a proper sendoff.
Federle also related that losing Olivia was "a little bit like a wedding" because the cast was "not losing a daughter" but "gaining a leading lady" in Sofia Wylie, who is slated to slide into the 'central' role that Olivia previously occupied.
It's not entirely off the table for Olivia (and Nini) to return, however. Federle explained of HSM's season four (and beyond), "I would never say never to Olivia, and I would never use the word 'last,' because I hope the show goes on and on and on."
Federle also joked that he never could have predicted just how fast and heavy Olivia's fame would hit (he always knew she would do great things, of course).
Yet if the "worst thing" that happened to him was that his lead star became "biggest pop star in the world and had to chase that," it's a perfectly acceptable "good bad thing."
Is Olivia Rodrigo Coming Back To HSM The Musical: The Series?
Despite Olivia Rodrigo's departure, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series doesn't appear to be ending. Disney released a trailer for the third season after Olivia's announcement that she wouldn't be returning.
That third season, which concluded in June 2023, briefly featured Olivia's character in a handful of episodes. The explanation was that Nini Salazar-Roberts had gone to California for something of a big break.
In the last scenes of the third season, Nini says goodbye to everyone, explaining that she's leaving to head back to California and won't be returning to East High to finish her senior year.
Fans may not begrudge Rodrigo's decision to leave and pursue other aspects of her career, but they probably wouldn't love it if the show killed Nini off to make a clean break. Thus, the departure of the character was fitting—and it leaves room for Olivia to come back, even if only for guest appearances in future seasons.
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