Rexha has long been outspoken about the pressures facing women in the music industry.
Bebe Rexha isn’t interested in turning female artists into competitors.
The singer recently pushed back after a social media user attempted to compare her commercial success to Olivia Rodrigo’s, whose third studio album You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and shattered streaming records.
The exchange began after Rexha shared a heartfelt tribute to late artist Oliver Tree on social media, revealing that the pair had recorded a song together for her latest album, Dirty Blonde, that ultimately didn’t make the final tracklist.
“I’m in shock. I was in the middle of my cd signing in nyc when I found the news of Oliver tree. I can’t believe it,” she wrote. “We recorded a record together to be on dirty blonde. He was so smart. Passionate. Talented. Kind. I’m so sad. May he rest in peace.”
But the conversation quickly veered off course when one commenter replied: “Olivia outsold u btw.”
Rather than taking the bait, Rexha answered: “I’m actually happy for her. No need to put women against each other. Stream DIRTY BLONDE for women empowerment. Livies X Rexhars.”
The response was widely praised by fans, with many applauding the singer for rejecting the increasingly common trend of framing women in pop as rivals.
The “I’m Good (Blue)” singer also made headlines last year after publicly criticising former collaborator G-Eazy, with whom she scored a major hit on 2015’s “Me, Myself & I.”
“I have been UNDERMINED. I’ve been so quiet for the longest time,” she wrote on social media at the time. “I haven’t seen the signs even though people constantly are bringing them up and they have been SO OBVIOUS. And when I have spoken up I’ve been silence and PUNISHED by this industry Things must change or I’m telling ALL of my truths. The good the bad and the ugly. (sic)”
The pop star later removed the post and added: “Someone from my team had me take down my Instagram Story,” she explained.
For now, however, Rexha seems focused on celebrating fellow female artists rather than competing with them.
