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Olivia Rodrigo is currently on tour. She began The Unraveled Tour last month with 86 scheduled shows across North America and Europe. While she is only a few weeks into the tour, she recently sparked controversy for an unexpected reason.

Rodrigo was reportedly performing at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on October 4 when the incident unfolded. According to the Mirror, a clip of the Deja Vu singer went viral for her recent stint during her concert. In the clip, she could be seen wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of red shorts.

She was performing her song Serena Joy while standing in the midst of what appeared to be a field of faux flowers. At one moment, she rubbed her hands on her armpits. She then used the sweat to rub it into her hair in a motion as if she was applying shampoo. The 23-year-old then held her hair up and sang for a short while. 

Rodrigo’s on-stage action did not sit well with her fans. Several social media users reacted to Rodrigo’s viral gesture, claiming that she attempted to look “cool” and “edgy.” A user wrote, “She is clearly trying to be cool and edgy, but this is just nasty and unhygienic,” while another penned, “and in front of people too, like… ew girl.” 

“She wants to give edgy pop punk rockstar so bad, but this is just genuinely disgusting and unsanitary,” another user suggested. A third fan wrote, “love her, but this was disgusting.” Some also attempted to defend her action. The fan wrote, “Everyone [sic] hating, but this is kinda the coolest thing she’s ever done. Sorry.”

This was not the first time the Drivers License singer previously sparked public outrage over her short baby doll dress. Rodrigo was widely criticized for wearing the childlike gown, as many accused her of wearing overly infantilizing outfits. The criticism began after her on-stage performance in Spain.

While the singer faced a massive backlash over picking a floral mini nightgown, she defended her style choices. According to The Guardian, Rodrigo publicly called out the backlash during an appearance on Popcast. She said that the response to her one dress was very upsetting.

She found the criticism disturbing as she recalled that she has worn many “revealing” outfits on stage before. “Like, I’ve been on stage in like a sparkly bra, little shorts, which is my right. That’s fun. I felt cool and comfortable in that. And that wasn’t ‘inappropriate.’ But me fully covered up in a dress that people deem to be childlike was inappropriate,” Rodrigo argued. 

The Traitor singer continued to put forward her point and take a jab at critics. “I think it shows how we really normalize p——— in our culture,” she claimed. Furthermore, she pointed out that the backlash was the rhetoric that girls are taught since childhood to dress in a certain way. “‘Don’t wear that because then a man is going to s——– your body and it’s your fault.’ Like, it’s so weird,” she asserted.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo has not reacted to her latest controversy yet. As she continues with her tour, it will reportedly conclude on May 10, 2027, in London.

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