Niall Horan credits Olivia Rodrigo for reshaping pop music
The former One Direction star says Olivia Rodrigo is 'influencing' songwriters including himself
Published May 01, 2026
Niall Horan is giving credit where it’s due.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone published April 30, the former One Direction star praised Olivia Rodrigo for reshaping modern pop songwriting, saying her music has helped bring one key element back into the spotlight: the bridge.
“It’s great to hear [bridges]. I feel like Olivia Rodrigo has been a big influence on that for pop writers,” Horan, 32, said before singing part of the bridge from Rodrigo’s breakout 2021 hit, Drivers License.
He went on to explain why her songwriting stands out in today’s pop landscape.
“What I like about Olivia’s music is [that] you feel like you’re getting one song and then you get a completely different song. It completely flips on its head musically, goes somewhere different, brings you to a bridge, brings you to some weird musical breakdown thing. Whatever [she] and Dan Nigro are up to is a good little team they’ve got going there. It’s definitely influencing people, including myself.”
The praise comes just days after Rodrigo scored her fourth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 with Drop Dead. Horan, meanwhile, is preparing to release his upcoming album Dinner Party on June 5.
