TikTokers Criticize Olivia Rodrigo's Merch as 'Low Quality' in Viral Videos

Listeners can't get enough of Olivia Rodrigo, ever since the famed "drivers license" singer dropped her debut album Sour in May.

Praised for her honest and raw portrayal of teenage angst, Rodrigo has cultivated a massive following—and, as with any pop star, devoted fans have flocked to Rodrigo's website to buy the 18-year-old musician's official merchandise.

The long-awaited purchases, however, appear to not be what some consumers were expecting. On TikTok, fans are talking candidly about what they feel are "low-quality" and "cheap" products, some of which appeared markedly different from the images on her site.

Delaney McCabe is one such fan. She told Newsweek that she bought a T-shirt from Rodrigo's online store in May, printed with a graphic that reads: "i want it to be, like, messy." The T-shirt was supposed to be a faded dark purple color, featuring an almost muted, vintage effect.

"From the website, I expected the [T-shirt] to be a thicker material," McCabe told Newsweek. "I thought it would have a vintage wash, for both the shirt and the print on the shirt."

According to Rodrigo's website, which describes the T-shirt as "dark purple" with a "vintage wash," McCabe's interpretation was spot-on. The site adds, however, that the "product image is a rendering for illustrative purposes," and that the item can feature "minor variance."

However, what McCabe experienced felt more than minor.

"When I opened the package, I saw an almost neon purple and immediately knew it was off," she said. "When I looked at it further, I realized even the letters were crooked," she added, noting that the garment "looked cheap and rushed."

On top of that, McCabe waited approximately two months after ordering to receive her item, but she clarified that the wait would have been acceptable for the product she had expected.

"My issue lies with both the quality and the look," she said.

She documented her experience on TikTok, and her video, shown at the top of the page, has racked up over 350,000 views since it was posted two days ago.

Meanwhile, dissatisfied fans are speaking up on the platform, sharing their own disappointing experiences with Rodrigo's merch.

Chloe Bolenbaugh, an Entertainment Management major at the University of Central Florida, claimed her experience was similar: as explained in her video, she ordered a "lavender" shirt that ended up "[looking] like PJs" upon arrival. The garment also reportedly lacked the cuff detail shown in the item's online photos.

"When I opened the package initially, I was a little confused," explained Bolenbaugh to Newsweek, noting that "it looked kinda like the item I was waiting for." However, it didn't take long for the shirt's quality issues to become evident. "The more I looked at it the more I realized that this is definitely not the same shirt," she said.

TikToker ​​@fattttbaby posted a series of clips on her "Sour" sweatshirt, which she says she purchased for $60. When the sweatshirt came, it featured "the tiniest graphic [she'd] ever seen," distressed "razor slices" through the fabric, and a "long and skinny" silhouette that differed from its "short" and "wide" picture online.

TikToker @fattttbaby declined to comment for this article.

Meanwhile, Rodrigo's team has yet to speak publicly on the criticism.

"I'm certain the merchandise shifted to meet the demand after Olivia's sudden soar in popularity continued," acknowledged Bolenbaugh. "I would suggest that her team should offer refunds to those who are unhappy. Acknowledge the error and improve for the next drop."

"I hate that this situation is giving Olivia a bad reputation," added McCabe. "The designs were super promising, and I would've loved to see that executed.

"The bare minimum would be to give refunds to everyone who received a bad product," she said. "I would love to see honesty from her team about what happened and an improvement in the future."

Newsweek has attempted to contact Rodrigo's team for comment.

Updated 08/02/2021, 4:28 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include a new video.

Updated 08/03/2021, 5:08 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Chloe Bolenbaugh.

Correction 08/05/2021, 5:41 p.m. ET: This article was corrected to reflect the updated spelling of Chloe Bolenbaugh.