Joshua Bassett Shares How Last Year Made Him Strong Enough to Be Unapologetically Himself on the Zach Sang Show

The singer and actor Joshua Bassett opens up about his traumatic past and experiences and how it shaped him into the person he can now say he’s proud of. Bassett elaborates on how he’s been focused on being positive, loving and compassionate. Instead of being bitter and taking a path of revenge.

Bassett further explains how he found the courage to have his voice and sing about his pain openly

There’s something to be said about vulnerability. And when you’re an artist, you can’t create art when you’re not honest and sincere. The art you make reflects that in a very obvious way.

And most artists, those that aspire to be great anyway, realize that on their own. Joshua Bassett happens to be one of those artists that are now completely fine with pouring their heart and soul into their work.

“I know a lot of people can relate to this like. You know, I numb a lot in general like whether it’s through TikTok or through whatever it might be. I’m numbing myself a lot. And I found myself numbing all the time and then going into sessions. And like trying to just open up and be emotionally vulnerable and you can’t like turn it off and on like a switch. It just doesn’t work like that. So, I realized if I want to be open and vulnerable  in my songs I have to be open and vulnerable in my real life and then it’ll come through the  songs and it worked every time.”

He worked at being vulnerable by going to therapy and working on himself more.

It did become quite complicated as he was involved in a huge controversy when his ex-girlfriend and co-star from The High Musical Series The Series co-star, Olivia Rodrigo, released a song ‘driver’s license’.

The song was aimed at her ex-boyfriend and the break-up was quite a painful one, considering the supposed ex quickly moved onto another ‘blonde’ girl. (That girl was Sabrina Carpenter, as also confirmed by her own song ‘Skin’).

Read the entire story of all their songs aimed at each other.

Related: Joshua Bassett Shares There’s Another Side To The Olivia Rodrigo X Sabrina Carpenter Story after Releasing 3 New Songs

Many assumed it was about Joshua Bassett and from the lyrics alone the public made their own opinions about the break-up. And Bassett was painted in the light of a villain.

The mega success of ‘driver’s license’ catapulted the song and Olivia Rodrigo into the limelight. Of course, that comes as no surprise considering the song was beautifully written and sung. However, the song put the blame of the break-up entirely on Joshua Bassett. That narrative was further cemented by the rest of her groundbreaking ‘sour’ album. The songs charted on number one on all major streaming platforms.

The drawback from all that success was that Joshua Bassett received a lot of intense hate from Olivia Rodrigo’s fans. And even if they weren’t hardcore fans of Rodrigo, the general sentiment of the public was anti-Joshua Bassett. Joshua had this to say about the songs, while he didn’t name her or the album directly:

“I think sometimes people need people to be the bad guy whether that’s to feel better about themselves or for whatever benefit they have. They need to make people the bad guy. I do say it’s cool if you want me to play the bad guy. I mean it’s more so like like okay if you’re gonna if you’re gonna do this like I can’t stop you from from trying to to create a narrative or trying to push um an image or whatever onto somebody. But I’m human too you know.

Joshua Bassett was also scared of sharing his side of the story because he didn’t want to send any hate in return. But he eventually learned it’s okay to be vulnerable.

The singer shared that he wanted to share his story of what actually happened but it was quite difficult for him to do so since the public intensely hated him already.

“The hardest part about this last year has been being afraid of speaking the truth and whether  that’s to protect certain people or whether that’s to protect myself. Or whether that’s to you know whatever it might be. I think that’s been the thing stopping me the most is like this fear of like. ‘Oh, I can’t write this because you know what are people gonna think or because it’s going to hurt this person or whatever it might be’. And I think that has like stunted me the most. And so what I’ve just tried to do is is really when I’m in the studio. Be like you can say whatever you need to say whatever is honest. And then you never have to put out the song but at least be  honest with yourself and do the song justice in.”

Joshua shares that although he did want to share his side of the story, he didn’t want it to be a revenge song where he’s throwing hate and shade to someone else.

It was just about him finally opening up about his side of the relationship and breakup:

“The hardest thing in this last year has just been biting my tongue and and sort of trying to  protect the people that I love. But the thing is this is the problem with you know. So, the three songs coming out right. Crisis, secret and Set Me Free. I cannot explain my side of the truth or explain any of it. Or defend myself without having to “expose” other people. Without having to  then be like well this is actually what happened.  And here’s why.”

Joshua Bassett explained that he didn’t want to take revenge but that he couldn’t just stay quiet and get hate for something that wasn’t actually true. He needed to share his side of the story as well.

“That was what was tough is like, I don’t want to do the same thing that’s being done to me. That’s not my goal. I’m not trying to tit for tat. Two wrongs don’t make a right. However, you cannot ignore a very vital part of this story. And hope that you know everything foes your way and pretend like there’s not this other reality to it.”

The singer also talked about his how he almost lost his life last year after he was hospitalized.

He didn’t know what was happening to him but just that something wasn’t right and he could feel it in his chest. Joshua Bassett was then sent to the hospital where they told him that he would have died if he hadn’t come to the hospital. Although the doctors weren’t sure on what happened with him but they diagnosed it as a case of septic failure caused by stress. Bassett then made the decision to change his life around and to get help. He tells Zach Sang:

“But when I was in the hospital. There was a moment after about three days when they came in and they were like your vitals aren’t getting any better. Like you’re not improving and we’re  very worried. And so I was like okay and they left. I just remember sitting there and I’m getting chills about to say it. And I literally was like ‘I need help, I need help’. That’s all I said. I need help immediately I felt at least 50 better than I had. And I’m not kidding you. The doctors came in um about half an hour later they took my blood they did a couple more tests. And they said we’ve never seen anything like this but you’ve improved like almost miraculously.”

Joshua Bassett also adds that he now focuses his energy on things he wants in his life, and on gratitude. Not on things he doesn’t have or worrying about the worst case scenarios in his mind.

“In the last few months I’ve done my very best to not say anything that I don’t want to be true. So, you know if for example if I’m worried about something. Instead of being like, ‘Oh, this is probably going to suck!’ Saying, ‘I’m hoping for the best.’ You know, it’s a slight difference. But that difference is everything. Because you are putting out the energy that you want. Not the  energy that you don’t want. Because if you’re putting out the energy you don’t want you’re  focused on what you don’t want and that’s what’s going to come exactly exactly law of attraction”

Moreover, he is also very selective when it comes to trusting someone and having true close friends. Especially after the last year, when he went through a horrible experience and those he expected to check up on him, didn’t. But Joshua Bassett holds no grudges and still believes in forgiveness and compassion. He’d rather love his haters, than you know, hate them. And it’s certainly a beautiful message. It’s something he preaches to his fans and followers as well.

You can watch the entire Joshua Bassett interview here: