Feather (song)

"Feather" is a song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from ''Emails I Can't Send Fwd:'', the 2023 deluxe edition of her fifth studio album, ''Emails I Can't Send'' (2022). Carpenter wrote it with songwriter Amy Allen and its producer, John Ryan. Island Records released its sped-up version on August 4, 2023, and Republic Records promoted its original version to radio stations by November that year. A combination of pop, dance, disco, and bubblegum genres, "Feather" is a post-breakup track which celebrates the freedom and relief one feels upon ending a relationship and shedding its weight.

Music critics praised the production of "Feather", describing it as light and airy. In the United States, the song peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became Carpenter's first song to reach the top 40; it was also her first number 1 on the Pop Airplay chart. The song reached the top 20 in Honduras, Latvia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. It received a diamond certification in Brazil and platinum or higher in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.

Mia Barnes directed the horror-inspired music video for "Feather", which was released on Halloween in 2023. It depicts the deaths of several men who mistreat Carpenter, who then dances at their joint funeral in the Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Annunciation Parish church. The video received a positive critical response but caused controversy when the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn issued a statement criticizing the church scenes and suspended the priest who allowed them to be filmed. Carpenter performed the song at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show and at the 2023 ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve''. She included it in her set list for the Emails I Can't Send, Eras, and Short n' Sweet tours.

Background and release

Sabrina Carpenter signed a five-album contract with Hollywood Records at the age of 14. She released several albums in the following years, which charted outside the top 25 on the American albums chart and did not produce any top 40 singles. In January 2021, Carpenter signed a deal with Island Records. She achieved her first ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry with "Skin" (2021), perceived to be an answer song to Olivia Rodrigo's 2021 single "Drivers License" by critics. Carpenter pursued a more personal songwriting style on her first album with the label, ''Emails I Can't Send'' (2022), which was conceived during the COVID-19 lockdowns and inspired by emails she would write to herself. The album was released on July 15, 2022, and included the single "Nonsense", which reached number 56 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Shortly before embarking on the Emails I Can't Send Tour in September 2022, Carpenter recorded the song "Feather", which she wrote with Amy Allen and John Ryan. They conceived it within two hours while "just literally dancing around" according to Carpenter, as Ryan played "a cool, feathery thing" on a piano. It was included on the album's 2023 deluxe edition, ''Emails I Can't Send Fwd:'', which she did not view as a follow-up to the original album but "just a few songs that belong in the ''Emails'' world" to thank her fans. Carpenter's manager thought the song would help extend the album campaign and aligned its release with the promotion for "Nonsense". Island released a sped-up version of "Feather" as a single on August 4, 2023, and included it on a 7-inch vinyl alongside the original version. Carpenter's manager wanted to employ a "traditional pop single campaign" and waited for the song to gain popularity following its music video's release before sending it for airplay. Carpenter also gained more recognition while serving as an opening act on Taylor Swift's 2023–2024 concert tour, the Eras Tour. Republic Records promoted the song to US radio by November 2023, as reported by the trade magazine ''Hits''.

Composition

Critics identified "Feather" as a pop, dance, dance-pop, disco, bubblegum, neo-disco, and disco-pop song. The song lasts for three minutes and five seconds. Ryan produced, programmed, and engineered it. Chris Gehringer mastered "Feather" at Sterling Sound in New York City, and Josh Gudwin helmed mixing with assistance from Heidi Wang. Carpenter's vocals are delicate on the song, including during the titular lyric: "I feel so much lighter like a feather with you off my mind." Its "do-do-do" melody is reminiscent of Paula Cole's 1997 single "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?", according to ''Rolling Stone India''s Amit Vaidya.

"Feather" is a post-breakup song which celebrates the freedom and relief one feels upon ending a relationship and shedding its weight. Carpenter begins by describing a toxic relationship characterized by immaturity and inconsistency, illustrating the dynamic where her partner initially seems thrilled but then becomes distant and uncommitted when she attempts to make plans. She resolves to not get entangled in a back-and-forth and decides to step away from him to unwind, and in the pre-chorus, expresses that she will block and ignore him in the future. Carpenter compares the lightness she feels upon leaving him to a feather. Reminiscing about their memories together, she refers to him as a "waste of time" who used to "act like a bitch".

Reception

Music critics praised the production of "Feather", describing it as light and airy. ''Slate''s Chris Molanphy described the song as "a neo-disco bop", and ''American Songwriter''s Alex Hopper called it a "pop gem". Hopper further described Carpenter's vocals as those of a "pop-princess" and the chorus as light and digestible "pure pop fodder". He thought its melody was infectious and perfectly satisfied his craving for a danceable beat. Vaidya included "Feather" at number 57 in ''Rolling Stone India''s list of the top songs of 2023 and believed it was tuneful, astutely personal, and sincere. ''Billboard''s Madison E. Goldberg described it as "a masterclass in 2020s pop music".

"Feather" was Carpenter's first song to reach the top 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and peaked at number 21 on the chart issued for April 27, 2024. The song also became her first to peak at number one on the Pop Airplay chart or any radio-focused ''Billboard'' chart. It received a 2× platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. "Feather" charted at number 25 on the Canadian Hot 100 issued for April 20 and was certified platinum by Music Canada. The song reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart and received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry.

In Australia, "Feather" peaked at number 23 and was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The song charted at number 40 in New Zealand and received a platinum certification from Recorded Music NZ. It reached number 43 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200. "Feather" also peaked within the top 50 at number 14 in Honduras and Singapore, number 16 in Latvia, number 18 in Malaysia, number 25 in Ireland, number 26 in the Netherlands, and number 48 in the Philippines. The song received a diamond certification in Brazil and gold in Central America, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.

Critics have discussed the song's impact on Carpenter's success the following year. Kelsey Barnes of Grammy.com thought its performance showcased her bold style gaining traction and paved the way for "an even bigger 2024". Goldberg listed "Feather" among Carpenter's 10 most essential songs and believed it laid the groundwork for her signature sound. ''Billboard''s Jason Lipshutz thought the song's pop radio success was significant and helped her reach the biggest radio stations in the US.

Music video

Mia Barnes directed the horror-inspired music video for "Feather", which features Milo Manheim as one of the male characters. Carpenter's stylist chose baby blue and baby pink outfits to convey femininity, fragility, and purity, which he thought would be humorous in contrast to the deaths in the video. Carpenter teased the horror theme by sharing a clip on Instagram on October 30, 2023. The video was released the following day to coincide with Halloween, and Carpenter shared behind-the-scenes photographs of her posing with cast mates, showcasing her wardrobe, and others of her splattered with fake blood and in a crop-top.

The video begins with shots of a pastel-colored coffin that reads "RIP bitch", neon crosses, and a gravestone etched with "He was just okay" inside the Our Lady of Mount Carmel/Annunciation Parish church, following which Carpenter arrives outside in a bubblegum pink hearse. Three men reading a book called "Tampons should be free" follow and catcall her, before getting run over by a truck. Carpenter takes a boxing class in a gym while clad in stilettos and knee highs. Several men there fight each other and she becomes covered in their blood. Another man non-consensually takes a photograph up Carpenter's skirt with the flash turned on while they are in an elevator together. She pulls his tie while exiting it and puts it between the elevator doors, decapitating him in the process. As the video progresses, Carpenter is seen at the church, where a joint funeral for the men that have died during the course of the video is being held. Clad in a short black tulle dress and veil, she dances in front of the coffins and several religious items at the altar, instead of mourning their deaths.

Critics believed the video was entertaining to watch on Halloween, and Lexi Lane of ''Uproxx'' thought it gave Carpenter's fans everything they could have desired. It received comparisons to different movies, including ''Jennifer's Body'' (2009), ''Promising Young Woman'' (2020), '' Bottoms'' (2023), and ''Final Destination'' (2000). Lane believed the church scenes recalled the 1996 film ''Romeo + Juliet''. ''Vulture''s Justin Curto called Carpenter's character "the Girlfriend Reaper".

Controversy

Two days after the video's release, Robert J. Brennan, the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn, issued a statement that he was "appalled" by what was filmed inside the church. He indicated that the parish did not adhere to the diocesan policy on filming within church grounds, which requires a review of the scenes and script. The administrative duties of Monsignor Jamie J. Gigantiello, the priest who gave Carpenter's team the permission to shoot inside the church, were subsequently terminated. He stated that he had approved the filming because his online search about Carpenter did not reveal anything worrisome and he wanted to increase the church's appeal to youth. While he was informed that a funeral scene would be filmed inside the church, he believed most of it would be done outside the church building and Carpenter's team did not appropriately represent the video's content. In September 2024, investigations possibly spurred by Gigantiello's granting Carpenter permission to use the church were tied to a federal criminal investigation of New York City mayor Eric Adams.

The church held a Mass of Reparation on November 4, 2023, to "restore the sanctity of this church and repair the harm". While some parishioners and churchgoes supported Gigantiello and believed the punishment was too harsh, others were offended by his actions. Carpenter responded to the controversy by saying "we got approval in advance" and proclaiming that "Jesus was a carpenter." Writing for ''The A.V. Club'', Emma Keates believed "the video rules" and the controversy contributed to Carpenter's "new, cool girl persona", also praising her response.

Live performances and other usage

Carpenter performed "Feather" on the Emails I Can't Send and Eras tours. She reprised "Feather" and "Nonsense" at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards pre-show on September 12, 2023. Carpenter began by singing "Feather" with a black-and-white retro theme before transitioning into the latter song; Hopper believed she delivered "heavenly" and impeccable vocals alongside a playful demeanor and outstanding choreography. The following month, Carpenter released a live version of "Feather" for the Spotify Singles series, which ''People''s Jack Irvin believed was elevated but stayed true to the original song. She opened her KIIS-FM Jingle Ball sets with the song in December 2023, clad in a red mini-dress and gloves on one date and a white corset top, shorts, and gloves on another. Carpenter sang it at the 2023 ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' with male dancers in suits.

On May 18, 2024, Carpenter performed a mashup of "Feather" and "Nonsense" on ''Saturday Night Live'' in a rose gold jumpsuit decorated with feathers alongside background dancers dressed in white. She replaced the lyric "I'm so sorry for your loss" with "I'm on ''SNL'' and you're not." ''Uproxx''s Alex Gonzalez described the performance as "angelic" and believed she dominated the stage but the dancers were equally energetic. Carpenter reprised "Feather" at Capital's Summertime Ball 2024 and at the Outside Lands festival on August 10, 2024. She included a jazz-influenced rendition of the song on the set list for the Short n' Sweet Tour (2024–2025).

Kelly Clarkson performed a cover of "Feather" on ''The Kelly Clarkson Show'' in February 2024 with backing vocals from the ensemble My Band Y'all. The group provided a four on the floor beat through guitar and bass instrumentation. ''Rolling Stone''s Kory Grow thought Clarkson and the band successfully conveyed the "live" characteristic of the rendition.

Credits and personnel

Credits are adapted from the single's 7" vinyl liner notes.
* Sabrina Carpenter – lead vocals, songwriting
* John Ryan – songwriting, production, recording, programming
* Amy Allen – songwriting
* Josh Gudwin – mixing
* Heidi Wang – mix engineer
* Chris Gehringer – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Note

References

{{Sabrina Carpenter

2023 songs
2023 singles
Sabrina Carpenter songs
Island Records singles
Songs written by Sabrina Carpenter
Songs written by Amy Allen (songwriter)
Songs written by John Ryan (musician)
Song recordings produced by John Ryan (songwriter)
Breakup songs
Music video controversies
Religious controversies in music
Christianity-related mass media and entertainment controversies
Catholicism-related controversies
Fiction about personifications of death
Catholicism in the United States
American dance-pop songs
American disco songs
Nu-disco songs