Sabrina Carpenter - ‘Vicious’

Sabrina Carpenter provides a brutally honest account of a former relationship in new single ‘Vicious’, the latest release from her upcoming album ‘emails i can’t send’.

With almost 10 million monthly Spotify listeners and recognitions from Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Earmilk, Sabrina Carpenter is becoming a renowned name within the music industry. The 23-year-old has brought out 4 studio albums to date, the most recent being ‘Singular Act 2’ (2019). Having already released ‘Skinny Dipping’ and ‘Fast Times’, ‘Vicious’ is the third single from the upcoming album ‘emails i can’t send’, a project which emerged during lockdown when Sabrina found herself drafting emails as a way of letting out her frustration and making sense of current experiences. 

The track was co-written with Jason Evigan (Madonna, Jason Derulo, Maroon 5) and Amy Allen (Harry Styles, Pink, Selena Gomez), and provides an authentic reflection on a past relationship which left Sabrina feeling internally conflicted. 

Contrasting floating vocals with powerful high notes not only showcases Sabrina’s impressive vocal range, but also seems to reflect the mixed feelings she has about the situation. The hook-laden track directly addresses the singer-songwriter’s former lover, reaching its climax during the emotionally-loaded bridge where Sabrina states ‘I should have known all along, I was only the next one to take your love songs as a promise’. With Sabrina’s previous work ranging across a multitude of genres, the current track is no exception, with elements of pop, rock, and R&B all evident in ‘Vicious’. 

Sabrina’s highly anticipated album ‘emails i can’t send’ is out July 15th.

Words by Emily Savage