Is Olivia Rodrigo's New Song 'Lacy' Queer?

If you swapped out “Lacy” for “Larry,” there would be no debate over whether the titular character was the agonizing object of the singer’s affections. But since it’s a woman’s name (and the comparison to actress Brigitte Bardot makes that clear enough), there’s no such consensus.

The prevailing heteroexplanation is that Rodrigo is jealous of Lacy (who leaves her stomach in knots, probably in a very platonic way), though it’s also been suggested she’s suddenly singing from a male perspective.

Mostly, though, the debate between whether it’s okay to read things as queer if an artist hasn’t explicitly laid out their sexuality in an Instagram post or a billboard in Times Square rages on.

The one thing everyone seems able to agree on is that Rodrigo doesn't owe anyone an explanation of her sexuality—nor does any celebrity. But any artist who shares their work with the world understands that it's up for interpretation, and suggesting that interpreting that work as queer is somehow rude or inappropriate, when interpreting it as straight would not be, has pretty damaging implications. Some people don't want to spell everything out, but that doesn't mean they aren't deadass making it obvious all the same.