Among the many memorable moments from the Grammys this past Sunday, one of the biggest occurred away from the spotlight.

In a heartfelt gesture, fan-recorded videos captured a warm hug between Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. Both artists, who have become prominent figures in the music scene, were part of a well-known love triangle that surfaced in 2021 when Rodrigo’s hit song “Drivers License” brought the situation to light.

In the song, Rodrigo reflected on a painful breakup involving a third person—rumored to be actor and singer Joshua Bassett—who allegedly chose an older, “blonde girl” (thought to be Carpenter).

What inspired Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’? Unpacking the past conflict with Sabrina Carpenter

The release of this single and her album “Sour” shot Rodrigo to fame, while Carpenter quickly became known as the “other woman” in a narrative that sought to pit them against each other.

In what seemed like a response to “Drivers License,” Carpenter debuted her song “Skin,” featuring a music video where she is seen on a vintage Mercedes, a nod to the car from Rodrigo’s video.

Fans eagerly connected the dots between the two songs, especially noting lyrics like “You’ve been sharing your side / Now it’s my turn to share mine” and “Perhaps ‘blonde’ was just a rhyme,” which drew direct comparisons.

Joshua Bassett, who met Rodrigo while filming their Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” faced backlash as well, with fans interpreting Rodrigo’s 11-track album as a tell-all about his alleged actions. In songs like “Traitor” and “Deja Vu,” Rodrigo expressed her feelings of betrayal and hinted at potential overlap in relationships involving both her and Carpenter.

The following year, Carpenter released her own album, believed to also hint at her relationship with Bassett. In her 2022 project “Emails I Can’t Send,” she adopted a more heartfelt tone than in her current “Short n Sweet” phase, offering a more innocent perspective of her and Bassett’s connection while lamenting her brief status as a social media target.

In one of the album’s tracks, “because i liked a boy,” she candidly sings, “I got death threats filling up semi-trucks / tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice / all because I liked a boy,” referring to herself as “a rebound getting around stealing from the young,” likely alluding to Rodrigo’s earlier remarks.

Three years on, both Carpenter and Rodrigo have risen to even greater fame, each releasing new hit singles about different experiences and relationships while amassing dedicated fanbases that often overlap.

Their embrace at the Grammys suggested that any past tensions had been resolved.

Carpenter had a successful night, winning awards for best pop solo performance and best pop vocal album, along with four additional nominations.

Rodrigo, who was not nominated this year but has previously won several Grammys, served as a presenter at the event.

Contributing: Jenna Ryu