NEWS
GAYLE
Acacia Evans*GAYLE has become a teen pop sensation overnight due to the success of her viral hit “abcdefu,” and is now getting praise from her peers. In an interview with E! News published on Thursday (Jan. 20), the 17-year-old explained how surreal the success has been and revealed that 2021’s breakthrough pop star Olivia Rodrigo has not only been in touch with her, but has also been incredibly supportive of her journey.
“Olivia Rodrigo DMed me. That was insane,” GAYLE shared. “She was just congratulating me on the success of the song. She told me that I was killing it and that was very just nice to hear from her, especially because she’s just such an amazing artist and talented human being.”
Though Rodrigo has reached out to GAYLE, this doesn’t mean they’re planning to collaborate on a track — at least not yet. “I would love to collaborate with Olivia. I had an opportunity to ask that but I didn’t because, you know, everybody wants to collaborate with Olivia Rodrigo,” the “Ur Just Horny” singer explained. She added that it would be “amazing, but I’m also not going to be like stalking her for it because she knows what she wants to do.”
With the popularity of both GAYLE’s debut single and Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” fans of both of the artists sometimes comment on their similarities. For GAYLE, she sees the comparisons as a compliment.
“I’m so grateful and so happy that people could look at my music and even just think it’s maybe possibly the high quality of Olivia’s is. The only problem that I have with comparisons is when they start competing us against each other,” she said. “I truly believe that we both can be great in our own ways, and she’s already great. And I’m just trying to do my thing and not suck, you know?”
“Abcdefu” is currently in its second week at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated Jan. 22). The track debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 51, but has since climbed to the No. 9 spot on the chart also dated Jan. 22.
NEWS
Ice Spice has released her new single “Pretty Privilege,” marking a noticeable shift from her signature New York drill-inspired sound. But the change in style isn’t the only thing that’s getting people talking. Fans are once again speculating about the rumored tension between her and Cardi B, a topic that first gained attention when a snippet of the track appeared online.
For those who missed it, Cardi B had previously gone on a rant that included jabs at Ice Spice and her manager. Not long after, Spice previewed “Pretty Privilege,” which featured the lyric, “She might talk s**t on the ’Gram, but she won’t talk it to my face.” That line quickly sparked debate among listeners, with many believing it was aimed at the AM I THE DRAMA? rapper.
This added fuel to speculation that a rivalry might be brewing. During the phone call in question, Cardi B criticized Ice Spice while speaking to her manager, James Rosemond Jr. She later apologized for her remarks about Latto and claimed that Rosemond Jr. was responsible for leaking their private conversation.
Now that the full version of “Pretty Privilege” has been released, Complex reports that other theories have emerged. Some fans believe the song might actually target Brooklyn rapper Stunna Sandy, whom Spice was said to call out in her earlier track “Baddie Baddie.” On that record, she rapped, “I know that she wants to be me / But she is not doing it well,” leading to renewed discussions about hidden disses.
While talk of a feud between Cardi B and Ice Spice isn’t new, both artists have publicly denied having issues in the past. Even so, online chatter continues to shape how fans perceive their relationship. Aside from that controversial phone call, there’s no real evidence to suggest they’re actually on bad terms.
Still, as speculation keeps circulating, the story might take new turns. Whether it’s genuine tension or just fan-driven drama, it’s clear that the Internet has played a big role in keeping the conversation alive. For now, Cardi and Ice Spice don’t seem particularly close, but time will tell if the rumors fade or resurface once again.
