Olivia Rodrigo has hit back over the criticism of her wearing a babydoll dress, labelling it “so weird†and that it “normalises paedophilia in our cultureâ€.
The American singer is set to release her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, next month.
However, she has come under fire for wearing a pink-and-white floral puff-sleeve babydoll dress with matching ruffled bloomers.
Speaking on The New York Times Podcast Popcast, Rodrigo said it was her “right†to dress how she wanted – but added that recent online criticism of her wearing babydoll dressses “shows how we really normalise paedophilia in our cultureâ€.
“Also, it's just this rhetoric we're fed as girls since we're so little, which is, don't wear that because then a man is going to sexualise your body and it's your fault. It's so weird,†she said.
Addressing recent outfits in which she wore babydoll dresses, the singer said she “didn't think I looked sexy at allâ€, but simply felt “cool and comfortableâ€.
She then went on to explain how she thought criticising women for dressing in this way was “losing the plot a little bitâ€.
“I just think if we start dressing in a way that's like, ‘I don't want some f****** freak to think that I'm sexy like a baby' or some crazy thing like that. I think it's losing the plot a little bit. I'm just very protective of younger women, girls, and I don't ever want them to be fed that rhetoric,†she said.
Earlier this month, the 23-year-old performed for the Spotify Billions Club, where she wore a floral top with ruffled bloomers, which saw her face intense criticism. She also wore a similar outfit in her Drop Dead music video.
Speaking on the podcast, she added that the backlash had made her “so upsetâ€.
The singer said she felt ‘protective' of younger women and girls (Ben Birchall/PA)
(Ben Birchall)
“What's really disturbing is I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage,†she said, then describing one that included a “sparkly bra and little shortsâ€.
“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 deemed to be childlike was inappropriate.â€
Rodrigo's full appearance on the podcast will be released later today.
Her third album will be released on June 12.
