High School Musical? Messy breakups? Young celebrity gossip? A love triangle with a story that's potentially being told through top-hit-songs? This year's first month is giving some 2000s vibes, and between all that drama and fan speculation, beautiful music is being created, and Sabrina Carpenter's latest single is a great example of it.
On January 22nd, the American singer/actress released the single "Skin", her first release with Island Records after previously being signed to Hollywood Records since 2014. This song serves as the first single from her upcoming fifth studio album which has not been officially titled yet. Carpenter's single is a synth-pop ballad telling the story of how Sabrina will not allow someone else get "under her skin" while she is enjoying a new-found relationship with a significant other. But here is where the plot thickens...
Many fans have begun speculating that "Skin" might be a response to Olivia Rodrigo's top-hit song "drivers license", which premiered in January 8th and tells the story of Rodrigo struggling to cope with a bad breakup, driving through the suburbs while reminiscing of the good times she spent with the person she broke up with. The song seems to heavily imply that it addresses her split from her "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" co-star, Joshua Bassett, who is allegedly now dating our featured artist in this article, Sabrina Carpenter.
With sassy and seductive vibes, the track has Sabrina dropping lyrical clues to her situation with Olivia as she assumes that maybe blonde was the only rhyme, and describes how they could both have been friends in another life, how she can try to get under her skin while he is on hers, and how she should not drive herself crazy over this situation. The rest of the lyrics to “Skin” may be hazier references, but that doesn’t make them unfitting for jabs directed at Rodrigo. “You’re tellin’ it how you see it / Like truth is whatever you decide,” Carpenter sings in the second verse. “You’re putting me in the spotlight / But I’ve been under it all my life,” she adds, addressing to her much longer career in the entertainment and music business.
Even though the lyrics are clearly addressing someone who's been trying to interfere with Carpenter's relationship, there are no public statements from any of the artists confirming any of these songs are related to each other. After thanking everyone who has listened to her song, especially those who have opened their minds to lyrically understand what she was trying to get across, Carpenter stated that she "was not bothered by a few lines in a song and wrote a diss track about it."
Drama and speculation aside, Sabrina's newest single is a must-watch/listen for her fans, fans of the Pop genre, and listeners who haven't stumbled upon her beautiful musical composition and incredible voice. She has stated that she feels as if Island Records is where she belongs in, so let's see what she has to offer while producing in a comfort zone. Make sure to give it a listen and while you're at it, check out her last album titled "Singular: Act II".
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