Poppin’ Off: Joshua Bassett’s “SOUR” Response

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photo by Caitlyn Hale

With a surge of online creators rising on apps such as TikTok, the new concept of content houses has also appeared. While they can allow for collaboration between influencers, some seem to sprout more drama than creativity.

After listening to singer Olivia Rodrigo bash ex-boyfriend Joshua Basset on Sour for the hundredth time, you ask yourself, “What is he feeling right now?” For anyone who was wondering, Bassett has provided a blunt answer.

In May of 2021, Rodrigo released her debut album Sour, detailing the end of her relationship with Bassett. Fans brutally attacked Bassett for months, but finally, on Dec. 3, Bassett released his response to the album: an emotional, critical EP, titled “Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free.”

The conflicting stories that both artists tell makes one thing clear: the internet is about to blow up. Fans love heart-wrenching breakup songs because they’re relatable, and because everyone wishes they could trash their ex like Rodrigo and Bassett do. When two A-list celebrities accuse each other of cheating, all you can do is sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show. While you may feel bad for the Bassetts and Jake Gyllenhaals of the world, it’s undoubtedly entertaining.

However, some fans take the drama too far. The death threats Bassett received after Sour’s release are awful, to say the least. In Crisis, Bassett describes the confusion he felt after receiving multiple death threats: “My mama called cause she heard I got death threats / Oh, what the hell am I supposed to do with that?” In any situation, death threats are not okay. He broke her heart. It isn’t ideal, but it’s as simple as that. He doesn’t deserve to have his life threatened because of it. Being a fan of Rodrigo doesn’t mean you need to be a hater of Bassett, and the last thing Twitter needs is more fandom wars.

Whether you think he’s innocent or not, Bassett had every right to release his EP and tell his side of the story. The drama is fun to watch, but in the future, fans should keep their angry, overdramatic Tweets out of celebrity breakups. Hyperbolizing the severity of a breakup will not help – just ask poor Jake. 

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