Sabrina Carpenter fans think her Skin lyrics are about Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett

22 January 2021, 06:46 | Updated: 12 April 2023, 17:37

Joshua Bassett and Sabrina Carpenter dress up as Sharkboy and Lavagirl

By Sam Prance

"Maybe you didn't mean it, maybe blonde was the only rhyme"

Sabrina Carpenter is back with a brand new single and fans are convinced that her 'Skin' lyrics are about the alleged Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo love triangle that she's rumoured to be in.

Earlier this month (Jan 8), High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star Olivia Rodrigo released 'Drivers License. The hit song is a heartbreaking ballad and people believe Olivia wrote it about her co-star and alleged ex Joshua Bassett. The lyrics appear to reference Joshua leaving Olivia for Sabrina Carpenter. Joshua has since dropped a song called 'Lie Lie Lie'.

READ MORE: Every song Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett have allegedly written about each other

Now, it looks like Sabrina is telling her side of the story. Fans think her 'Skin' lyrics are a direct response to 'Drivers License'.

Who are Sabrina Carpenter's 'Skin' lyrics about?

Sabrina Carpenter Skin lyrics: Are they about Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett?
Sabrina Carpenter Skin lyrics: Are they about Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett? Picture: Kevin Mazur/2020 MTV Movie & TV Awards/Getty Images, Image Group LA/Disney Channel via Getty Images

Sabrina starts 'Skin' singing: "Maybe we could have been friends / If I met you in another life / Maybe then we could pretend / There's no gravity in the words we write", seemingly referencing that both she and Olivia are songwriters. She then seems to explicitly reference 'Drivers License' by adding: "Maybe you didn't mean it / Maybe "blonde" was the only rhyme."

In 'Drivers License', Olivia Rodrigo sings: "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". Fans think the blonde girl is Sabrina because Joshua and Sabrina have posted TikTok videos together and Sabrina (21) is blonde and four years older than Olivia (17).

Sabrina Carpenter - Skin (Official Lyric Video)

To add to what Sabrina is saying, fans have noticed that Olivia actually changed the lyric from "brunette" in the first version of 'Drivers License' to "blonde" in the official one. In the chorus of 'Skin', Sabrina then goes on: "You can try / To get under my, under my, under my skin / While he's on mine."

Sabrina then continues: "You're tellin' it how you see it / Like truth is whatever you decide" and "You're putting me in the spotlight / But I've been under it all my life". In the bridge, Sabrina sings: "I just hope that one day / We both can laugh about it." and "Don't drive yourself insane".

As it stands, Sabrina hasn't confirmed specifically who the song is about but fans think that it is pretty explicit. Here are some of the reactions so far.

Sabrina Carpenter co-wrote 'Skin' with Tia Scola and Ryan McMahon. It's currently unclear if it's a standalone single or part of a new project. We shall update you as soon as we know more.

Sabrina Carpenter - 'Skin' lyrics

VERSE 1
Maybe we could have 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

PRE-CHORUS
Want my heart to be breakin', breakin', no
I'm happy and you hate it, hate it, oh
And I'm not asking you to let it go
But you been tellin' your side
So I'll be telling mine
Oh

CHORUS
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

VERSE 2
You're tellin' it how you see it
Like truth is whatever you decide
Some people will believe it
And some will read in between the lines
You're putting me in the spotlight
But I've been under it all my life
Said all my life

PRE-CHORUS
Want my heart to be breakin', breakin', no
I'm happy and you hate it, hate it, oh
And I'm not asking you to let it go
But you been tellin' your side
So I'll be telling mine, mine

CHORUS
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, 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, oh

BRIDGE
I just hope that one day
We both can laugh about it
When it's not in our face
Won't have to dance around it
Don't drive yourself insane
It won't always be this way

CHORUS
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