Joshua Bassett's newest song, "The Golden Years," has fans buzzing with speculation that it's inspired by his rumoured ex-girlfriend, Olivia Rodrigo. The 23-year-old singer teased the track on social media, igniting a frenzy of theories about his lyrical muse.
Bassett shared a snippet of the song on TikTok, featuring him singing on a beach with lyrics like, "Four years gone by in a blink of an eye / We were young ‘till we weren’t / It was fun ‘till I hurt." Fans immediately connected the timeline to his 2020 relationship with Rodrigo while filming High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Adding to the intrigue, Bassett's shirt in the video displays the numbers 17 and 21 – Rodrigo's age when she wrote her hit breakup song "Driver's License" (rumoured to be about Bassett) and her current age.
Bassett followed up with a second video featuring photos from his time on HSMTMTS, including snapshots of him with Rodrigo and other costars. One specific image of Bassett's and Rodrigo's characters smiling at each other further fueled fan theories.
While some speculate the song could simply be a reflection on Bassett's time on the Disney+ show, many are convinced the lyrics and subtle hints point directly to Rodrigo. Their rumoured relationship, Rodrigo's album Sour, and a potential love triangle with Sabrina Carpenter have been a source of ongoing fascination for fans.
Despite the intense speculation, neither Bassett nor Rodrigo have confirmed the song's inspiration. However, their brief reunion at the HSMTMTS season 3 premiere in 2023 hints at a possible easing of tensions.
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