Sabrina Carpenter drops new single and music video, “Skinny Dipping”

On September 9, American singer Sabrina Carpenter premiered her second single of this year, “Skinny Dipping.” Following the success of her first single of 2021, “Skin,” Sabrina continues to promote the release of her upcoming, full-length debut album through Island Records with the release of this vulnerable and powerful single.

“Skinny Dipping,” written by Sabrina, JP Saxe and Julia Michaels, recounts a quiet yet intense post-relationship conversation between Sabrina and an old flame through intricately written lyrics reminiscent of a 90’s era ballad. Gentle acoustic guitar softens the bittersweetness of Sabrina’s vocals, while horns and strings accentuate her titular naked emotion in the hook of the song. Overall, the lyrics and instrumentals blend together perfectly to capture the vulnerability, longing, and slow reconciliation that lingers after the breakup of a long relationship.

The direction of the music video puts a subversive twist on the subject of the lyrics themselves. Filmed in the style of a home video, punctuated intermittently with handwritten notes on the screen to suggest a diary-like confession, director Amber Park further underlines the vulnerability and emotional weight of Sabrina’s lyrics. Following her from her picket fence home to biking down her street to eventually sitting on a playground swing with the full moon yawning behind her, Sabrina creates a dreamy aesthetic perfectly suited for any post-breakup playlist.

“Skinny Dipping” is the second single released by Sabrina Carpenter in collaboration with Island Records this year. Her first 2021 single, “Skin,” was wildly popular, garnering over 92.5 million Spotify streams and 22 million YouTube views on the music video as of this date. Billboard described the single as “hitting that sweet spot between raw writing and grandiose production, resulting in an enthralling listen.” Sabrina’s full-length album will be debuting soon.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Skinny Dipping” here, while you can watch the official music video here!