Olivia Rodrigo reveals stranger asked her out at 5 am in NYC, inspiring 'Stupid Song'

“I was like, ‘no, but this is the best day ever. Oh my God,’” Rodrigo recalled about the stranger asking her out

Olivia Rodrigo has revealed the unusual late-night encounter that inspired her song stupid song, recalling how a stranger asked her out while she was walking around New York City at 5 a.m.

Speaking in the video, Rodrigo explained that she was out walking in New York in the early hours of the morning when a stranger approached her and asked her on a date.

Although Rodrigo turned him down, the unexpected interaction left her delighted.

“I was like, ‘no, but this is the best day ever. Oh my God,’” Rodrigo recalled.

Olivia Rodrigo says she wrote “stupid song” after walking around NYC at 5am and a stranger asked her on a date: “I was like, ‘no, but this is the best day ever. Oh my God.’” pic.twitter.com/z3FdNA8tME

— Variety (@Variety) September 2, 2026

The singer said the encounter ultimately became the inspiration for stupid song, turning a brief interaction with a stranger into a new piece of music.

Rather than being about an actual relationship, the song grew out of the feeling created by the encounter and the excitement of suddenly feeling romantically inspired.

Rodrigo's story gives fans a glimpse into the spontaneous experiences that can fuel her songwriting, with stupid song emerging from a moment that lasted only a few minutes but was memorable enough to become a song.