Actor and pop singer Sabrina Carpenter has making various TV and film appearances in recent years, but her name became ubiquitous in early 2021 when it was suspected she and Disney+ star Joshua Bassett were the subjects of Olivia Rodrigo’s heartbreak track “Drivers License.” The singer then dropped her song “Skin,” which seemingly sloughed off her critics. But after distancing herself from the rumored love triangle drama, Carpenter reintroduces herself with the sparkling tune “Skinny Dipping.”
Carpenter’s new track arrives alongside an Amber Park-directed video. Touched with nostalgia and inspired by the color palettes of the ’70s, Carpenter’s “Skinny Dipping” visual follows the song’s theme of rewriting her past in response to reigniting an old flame. Over a wistful acoustic guitar, Carpenter leans on her honeyed voice to narrate her wish to start fresh.
Speaking about her inspiration behind the new track, Carpenter said: “One day we’ll be older and see our past experiences with such fresh eyes that maybe the bad things won’t feel so bad, and trust that life will lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.”
“Skinny Dipping” arrives after both Rodrigo and Carpenter put their rumored differences aside. In a recent interview, Rodrigo noted her frustration that her song sparked speculation about a love triangle. “I put it out not knowing that it would get that reaction, so it was really strange [when] it did. I just remember [everyone being] so weird and speculative about stuff they had no idea about,” she said. Rodrigo added, “I don’t really subscribe to hating other women because of boys. I think that’s so stupid, and I really resent that narrative that was being tossed around.”
Watch Carpenter’s “Skinny Dipping” video above.
