Olivia Rodrigo says new song 'The Cure' has nothing to do with the iconic rock band

• Olivia Rodrigo confirmed her new song The Cure has no connection to the English rock band of the same name
• She called the naming coincidence a "happy coincidence" and said the song reflects a new creative maturity
• Rodrigo and Robert Smith, 67, speak every week and performed together at Glastonbury in June 2025
  

Olivia Rodrigo has clarified that her new single The Cure has no connection to the iconic English rock band of the same name — even though she counts the group's frontman, Robert Smith among her closest friends.

During an appearance on the Elvis Duran Show on Thursday, the singer-songwriter was asked whether the band behind Boys Don't Cry had served as an inspiration for her latest single, released on Friday.

"Honestly, this song, 'The Cure,' has nothing to do with the band," Rodrigo, 23, said. "Although I love it so much, it just is a happy coincidence."

A song she is proud of

Reflecting on the track, Rodrigo said she was "proud" of how it had come together, describing it as a creative milestone.

"It's a new perspective that I haven't had the maturity to express before in earlier albums," she said of The Cure, which she had previously described as one of her favourite songs she has ever written.

A genuine friendship with Robert Smith

Whilst the Friday I'm in Love band were not a direct inspiration for the track, the Traitor singer confirmed that The Cure's frontman, Robert Smith is a genuine friend.

"I love him. We talk like, every week. He's amazing," she said.

In June 2025, Rodrigo brought Smith, 67, onstage during her Glastonbury set, where the pair performed Just Like Heaven and Friday I'm in Love together. Smith later spoke about their friendship to British Vogue in April, revealing he was flattered when she reached out about the Glastonbury appearance.

"I bought Sour, and then Guts (both on CD!)" he told the outlet. "Although most of the songs on those two albums are not really 'aimed at my demographic'(!), they are all so good that it is hard not to fall in love with them."

He added: "She calls me up quite a bit to talk about clothes and fashion – and we have enjoyed a couple of memorable nights in the studio together… I can't wait to hear what she does next."

New album explores love and self-discovery

The Cure follows the earlier release of Drop Dead and both tracks are set to feature on Rodrigo's forthcoming album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, due out on 12 June.

During a recent appearance on On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Rodrigo said she experienced "real romantic love for the first time" whilst working on the record, describing the album as one of deep personal discovery.

"There's just so much to unpack in it," she said, adding that it was about "discovering so many things about myself and also being in a real relationship.

I think a good relationship holds a mirror to you and shows you parts of yourself that you never would have been able to see before. There's a lot of looking inward."