Olivia Rodrigo responds to outrage over wearing 'babydoll' dress onstage and addresses 'pedophilia'

Olivia Rodrigo has said she was 'so upset' after the outrage her 'baby doll' dress caused online.

The 23-year-old musician wore the short sleeved floral babydoll dress while on stage in Barcelona, Spain on May 8.

The performance, which was part of Spotify's Billions Club show, caused a stir online, with many people saying it was 'inappropriate' and questioning why 'heavily sexualized pop stars are dressing themselves as little girls'.

Olivia Rodrigo has now spoken out on the backlash she received during an interview on The New York Times’ Popcast, as she called the response 'disturbing'.

"I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage," she said, referring to 'sparkly bras' and 'little shorts' which she felt 'cool and comfortable in.

"And that wasn't inappropriate, but me, fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike, was inappropriate?" she questioned on the podcast. "I just think it shows how we really normalize pedophilia in our culture."

"And also it’s just this rhetoric that we’re fed as girls since we’re so little, which is like, ‘Don’t wear that because then a man is going to sexualize your body and it’s your fault,'" - which she said was 'so weird'.

The singer then went on to explain how she didn't 'feel sexy at all,' in her babydoll dress, and in fact took inspiration from her 'cool heroes' Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love.

Rodrigo later expressed how protective she was over younger woman and girls, and wants to protect their right to 'dress however they want'.

Fans were praising the 23-year-old's response in the comments, with one writing: "Just an excellent, well thought out answer."

Another penned: "The perfect answer btw. Don’t think she could’ve said it any better. Preach it girl."

Prior to the backlash, the good 4 u singer spoke to Vogue about the costuming in her Drop Dead music video - as she expressed her love for the babydoll style.

"I just remember being younger and having pictures of Courtney Love and Kat Bjelland from all these riot grrrl punk bands in their babydoll dresses, just owning it," she told the publication.

It's not the first time the star has had to 'address controversy' lately, addressing a rumored feud between herself and Sabrina Carpenter.

"It's just people just get weird and clickbaity — it's all love, though. I've talked to her many times," she told British Vogue.

Olivia Rodrigo's full interview on the New York Times Popcast will be released tomorrow on the Popcast’s YouTube channel.