Sabrina Carpenter Addresses Those Rumors That She Shaded Olivia Rodrigo In New Song ‘Skin’
The Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett love triangle isn’t over just yet. Yep, just when we all thought
Lillie Gissen
The Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett love triangle isn’t over just yet. Yep, just when we all thought that the drama had ended, Carpenter dropped a brand new song about the situation, and boy, did she throw a lot of shade in the lyrics!
After the track, which is called “Skin,” came out on January 21, 2021, it quickly became one of the most talked about songs in the country. Why? Well, it seemed to be a direct response to the song that Rodrigo had released a few weeks earlier — “Driver’s License” — and Carpenter did not hold back in it! Not only did she mention that “blonde girl” line, but she also seemed to include a few digs directed towards Rodrigo. But in a new Instagram post, the Disney star decided to clear the air, and she explained that it’s not about one person after all.
“Thank you to everyone who has listened to ‘Skin,’ especially those who have opened their minds to lyrically what I was trying to get across,” she wrote. “I wasn’t bothered by a few lines in a (magnificent) song and wrote a diss track about it. I was at a tipping point in my life for countless reasons. So I was inspired to do what I usually do to cope — write something that I wish I could have told myself in the past. People can only get to you if you give them the power to, and a lot of people were trying to get to me.”
She continued, “The song isn’t calling out one single person. Some lines address a specific situation, while other lines address plenty of other experiences I’ve had this past year… It also shows that many things have actually gotten under my skin… And I’m still learning to not give other people so much power over my feelings. I know a lot of you struggle with the same thing. I don’t want this to become an endless cycle so please don’t take this as an opportunity to send more hate anyone’s way. Lots of love to you all. Thanks for letting me grow.”
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Confused about the two songs and their ongoing feud? Wondering what the two stars have said about each other and why they’re fighting? Not to worry, you guys, because we broke down their entire love triangle from start to finish for you. Here’s where you need to know…
Wait, Who Are Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett And Sabrina Carpenter?
For those who don’t know, Rodrigo is most known for her role as Paige Olvera in the show Bizaardvark. When that ended in 2019, she went on to star in High School Musical: The Musical — The Series, where she not only acted in the show (she played Nini!) but she also wrote some of the songs for it! That’s where she met Bassett, who fans may recognize as Ricky from the series. He also previously acted in Stuck in the Middle, Grey’s Anatomy, Game Shakers and more, and has released some songs of his own over the years. As for Carpenter, she most famously played Maya Hart in Girl Meets World, but she also starred in Sofia the First, The Goodwin Games, Horns, The Hate U Give, So Close, Milo Murphy’s Law, Tall Girl, Work It, Clouds and others. She has dropped four albums over the years, and they’re full of bops.
What Exactly Happened Between Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett And Sabrina Carpenter?
As fans know, Rodrigo and Bassett played love interests in HSMTMTS, and back when they were filming the show in 2019, fans started to notice that they were hanging out a lot when the cameras stopped rolling. They posted a bunch of cute pics together on social media, and naturally, rumors started to spread that they had taken their love off the screen into real life. They never actually spoke out about the relationship while they were dating, but fans started to speculate that they had split in the summer of 2020, when the actress posted a video of herself listening to a song that they had written together for the show and wrote, “You think you can hurt my feelings? I wrote this song.”
“And that’s on failed relationships,” she captioned it.
Just a few weeks later, Bassett was spotted hanging out with Carpenter (they were photographed getting lunch together), so it appeared that he had moved on. They were also spotted kissing during a Black Lives Matter protest a few weeks later, and in October 2020, they even more coordinated Halloween costumes. And based on the lyrics to Rodrigo’s song, she was pretty hurt about Bassett’s new relationship.
Why Do People Think Olivia Rodrigo’s New Song Is About Joshua Bassett And Sabrina Carpenter?
In “Drivers License,” Rodrigo sang about a “blonde girl” who was older than her, seemingly referring to Bassett’s new relationship with Carpenter (who is four years older than her).
“I got my driver’s license last week / Just like we always talked about / ‘Cause you were so excited for me / To finally drive up to your house / But today I drove through the suburbs / Crying ’cause you weren’t around,” the lyrics read. “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m insecure about / Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs / ‘Cause how could I ever love someone else?”
She also referenced a song that the guy wrote for her, which is further proof that it’s about Bassett. For those who forgot, he wrote a few songs that were rumored to be about Rodrigo throughout their relationship, including his 2020 hit “Anyone Else.”
“And I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one / And I just can’t imagine how you could be so OK now that I’m gone / Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me / ‘Cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street,” Rodrigo sings. “Red lights / Stop signs / I still see your face / In the white cars / Front yards / Can’t drive past the places / We used to / Go to / ‘Cause I still f**king love you, babe.”
“I got my driver’s license last week / Just like we always talked about / ‘Cause you were so excited for me / To finally drive up to your house / But today I drove through the suburbs / Crying ’cause you weren’t around,” the lyrics read. “And you’re probably with that blonde girl / Who always made me doubt / She’s so much older than me / She’s everything I’m insecure about / Yeah, today I drove through the suburbs / ‘Cause how could I ever love someone else?”
She also referenced a song that the guy wrote for her, which is further proof that it’s about Bassett. For those who forgot, he wrote a few songs that were rumored to be about Rodrigo throughout their relationship, including his 2020 hit “Anyone Else.”
“And I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one / And I just can’t imagine how you could be so OK now that I’m gone / Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me / ‘Cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street,” Rodrigo sings. “Red lights / Stop signs / I still see your face / In the white cars / Front yards / Can’t drive past the places / We used to / Go to / ‘Cause I still f**king love you, babe.”
When asked about who inspired the emotional track, Rodrigo didn’t confirm or deny that it was about Bassett. She told Billboard, “I totally understand people’s curiosity with the specifics of who the song’s about and what it’s about, but to me, that’s really the least important part of the song. It’s resonating with people because of how emotional it is, and I think everything else is not important. To see it do really well — to have this really painful moment in my life, and turn it into something beautiful that can maybe help people through a tough time that they’re having, like I was having a tough time — it’s just so empowering. I feel grateful that I got to do that.”
What About Sabrina Carpenter’s New Song?
And the drama didn’t end there. Carpenter’s new tune, “Skin,” is all about someone who likes the same guy as her, and although she said it’s not inspired by one person, there are definitely clues that some lines are about Rodrigo.
“Maybe we could’ve been friends / If I met you in another life / Maybe then we could pretend / There’s no gravity in the words we write / Maybe you didn’t mean it / Maybe blonde was the only rhyme / The only rhyme,” the lyrics read. “Want my heart to be breaking, breaking, no / I’m happy and you hate it, hate it, oh / And I’m not asking you to let it go / But you been telling your side / So I’ll be telling mine, oh / You can try / To get under my, under my, under my skin / While he’s on mine / Yeah, all on my, all on my all, on my skin / I wish you knew that even you / Can’t get under my skin / If I don’t let you in.”
What Did Joshua Bassett Say About ‘Drivers License’ And ‘Skin?’
Well, whether the songs are about him or not, Bassett made sure to show his support for both of the songs. Yep, he shared Rodrigo’s Instagram post about hers to his Stories, and added, “‘Drivers License’ is out now! Such a great song. Congrats @Olivia.Rodrigo.” Then, he promoted “Skin” on his Stories too!
“Been stuck in my head since I heard it!” he wrote.