Fans who have been following the Sabrina-Olivia-Josh love triangle may want to know if Sabrina Carpenter’s “Skin” lyrics are about Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett. But before we dive into what Carpenter’s “Skin” lyrics mean (and if the song is a response to that whole Olivia-Josh drama), let’s recap how this love triangle came to be in the first place.

On January 8, 2021, Rodrigo released her debut single, “Drivers License,” which hinted at a love triangle between her, Bassett and Carpenter. In the song, Rodrigo sings about how her ex is with “that blonde girl” who is “so much older” than her. From the lyrics, fans came to the conclusion that the song is about Bassett (Rodrigo’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series) costar and their secret relationship. (This comes from the evidence that Bassett taught Rodrigo how to drive before she got her drivers license.)

Fans also deduced that the “blonde girl” referenced in the lyrics is Carpenter, whom Bassett has been photographed with a lot as of late. Fans then concluded that Bassett broke up with Rodrigo to be with Carpenter—hence the rumoredF love triangle.

Fast forward to Friday, January 22, when Carpenter released her new single, “Skin,” which seemed to shade Rodrigo’s lyrics about a “blonde girl” that her ex is now with. “Maybe ‘blonde’ was the only rhyme,” Carpenter sings in the song.

“Skin” also sees Carpenter sing about someone she thought she could be friends with if circumstances were different. “Maybe we could’ve been friends / If I met you in another life,” she sings. The former Disney Channel star also references “sides” to a story, which led fans also believe that “Skin” is a clap back to “Drivers License.” “You been tellin’ your side / So I’ll be tellin’ mine,” Carpenter sings.

The bridge of “Skin” also references the word “drive” in a tongue-in-cheek way, which led listeners to think that it was a nod to “Drivers License.” “Don’t drive yourself insane,” she sings.

Read the full lyrics to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Drivers License” below.

[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 tellin’ mine, oh

[Chorus]

You can try

To get under my, under my, under my skin

While hе’s on mine

Yeah, all on my, all on my, all on my skin

I wish you knew that еven 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 tellin’ mine (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, 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

from StyleCaster