I don’t think my goal is to be liked by all

“I definitely try to be careful with my words,” explained the pop star, who has over 40million followers on Instagram. “But simultaneously, the women I looked up to when I was young were really outspoken, and that was one of the reasons I adored them.”

She continued, saying she wasn’t too worried about alienating any of her fanbase by expressing her views.

“I don’t think my goal is to be liked by all,” Rodrigo said. “And when you de-centre that as the primary motivation, I think everything becomes a lot more joyful.”

The singer spoke out on Gaza last summer, saying that “no child – not in Israel, not in Palestine – should have to go through these atrocities”. On Palestine, she argued: “To give up on them is to give up on our shared humanity.” She also called on fans to help raise funds for the children of Gaza.

In early 2024, Rodrigo launched a reproductive rights initiative “to support all women, girls and people seeking reproductive health freedom”, and confirmed that “a portion of all of the proceeds from ticket sales of the ‘Guts’ world tour” would go to the fund.

She made headlines for handing out contraceptive kits with condoms, Plan Bs, and information for abortion access at her shows in Missouri, which banned almost all abortions in 2022. However, the move angered several Republican figures, including a “horrified” Missouri State Senator Bill Eigel, who said Rodrigo “should be ashamed” for “championing abortion”. Local abortion organisers later said they were no longer allowed to hand out contraceptive kits at the concerts.

During her performance at Glastonbury 2022, the singer brought out Lily Allen to dedicate ‘Fuck You’ to the US Supreme Court Justices, who overturned a 50-year-old law that guaranteed women in the US the right to terminate a pregnancy.

Late last year, Rodrigo condemned ICE for using her music to soundtrack a “racist” self-deportation video. “Don’t ever use my songs to promote your racist, hateful propaganda,” she wrote.

She had previously decried the Trump administration’s actions in Los Angeles, where a series of protests against ICE raids took place. “I’ve lived in LA my whole life, and I’m deeply upset about these violent deportations of my neighbours under the current administration,” she said.

“LA simply wouldn’t exist without immigrants,” she continued. “Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest.”

Elsewhere, in 2024, Rodrigo removed a song from TikTok after it was used as part of Trump’s campaign. She had endorsed his rival Kamala Harris, based on her stance on reproductive rights.

Her new interview with BBC News also saw the artist recall the “near anxiety attack” she experienced before going on stage at Glastonbury 2025. “[I was] like, ‘How am I going to do this? I don’t know if I’m ready’,” she said.

Rodrigo’s new album ‘You Seem Pretty Sad…’ features a collaboration with The Cure’s Robert Smith, ‘What’s Wrong With Me’ – which the pair debuted on stage at Primavera Sound in Barcelona – as well as the singles ‘Drop Dead’ and ‘The Cure’.

The record delves into feelings of “jealousy” and “longing” that arose from Rodrigo’s first “big girl relationship”. It has been described as “experimental” while being full of “sad love songs”.

Rodrigo is set to showcase the album on her massive ‘Unraveled Tour’. The trek will see her joined by Wolf Alice, The Last Dinner Party and more. Dates include multiple stops at The O2 in London, where more shows have been added due to huge demand. Visit here for UK tickets and here for international tickets.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo has addressed the “disturbing” controversy around her new babydoll dress look, saying that it “shows how we really normalise pedophilia in our culture”.