Feather (song)

"Feather" is song by American singer Sabrina Carpenter from Emails I Can't Send Fwd:, the deluxe edition of her fifth studio album. Carpenter and Amy Allen wrote the song with its producer, John Ryan. Island Records released its sped-up version for digital download and streaming on August 4, 2023. A music video for the song was released on October 31, 2023. The song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it became her first number one on the Billboard Pop Airplay chart.

Background
Sabrina Carpenter released her fifth studio album, Emails I Can't Send, on July 15, 2022. The song "Nonsense" served as a single from the album. It reached number 56 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 32 on the UK Singles Chart. On March 17, 2023, Carpenter followed up with a deluxe edition of the album. A sped-up version of the song "Feather" was released for digital download and streaming on August 4, 2023.

Composition
"Feather" is three minutes and five seconds long. Carpenter and Amy Allen wrote the song with John Ryan, who produced, programmed, and engineered it. Chris Gehringer mastered it, and Josh Gudwin mixed it with assistance from Heidi Wang.

"Feather" is a dance pop song about overcoming a relationship. Incorporating electric piano, piano, synthesizer, kick, and bass in its instrumentation, the song's lyrics detail blocking someone on social media and feeling like a burden has been lifted after leaving them behind: "I got you blocked / After this, an afterthought / I finally cut you off / I feel so much lighter, like a feather with you off my mind."

Music video
On October 31, 2023, Carpenter released a music video for "Feather", which was directed by Mia Barnes. In it, Carpenter kills her ex-lovers who have wronged her. First, she is followed by catcalling men who get rammed by a truck while they are not looking. She makes her way into a gym, where the other patrons mansplain to her before getting into a fight with each other; they end up fighting each other to the death while she sings in the foreground. When a man then photographs Carpenter's backside in an elevator, she pulls on his tie while exiting the elevator and leaves it between the closing doors, decapitating him in the process. She laughs and exclaims: "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul summarized it: "Carpenter finds a middle ground between Jennifer's Body and Final Destination, with a pop girl twist, as she lets the universe take care of eradicating the posturing feminist men who followed her down the street, only to then be hit by a truck they were too distracted to see coming." Vulture's Justin Curto called her character "the Girlfriend Reaper, who drives around in her pink hearse, killing men", comparing to the Grim Reaper.

Controversy
Robert J. Brennan, the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn, expressed that he was "appalled" that the "controversial" music video was filmed at the Blessed Virgin Mary Church: "The parish did not follow diocesan policy regarding the filming on church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script." The administrative duties of the priest who gave Carpenter's team the permission to film the video inside the church were subsequently terminated. Carpenter responded to the controversy by saying "we got approval in advance" and proclaiming that "Jesus was a carpenter".

Live performances
Carpenter has performed "Feather" at various events, shows and tours. She performed the song at the pre-show of the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2023, and during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve at the end of 2023. She has since performed it on the Emails I Can't Send Tour and The Eras Tour. She also performed the song at Coachella, and on Saturday Night Live as a mashup with "Nonsense". During her performance of the 2023 single “Feather”, Carpenter also modified some lyrics in a shoutout to her SNL starring moment, replacing the words “I’m so sorry for your loss” with “I’m on SNL and you’re not!”

Track listing

 * Digital download / streaming – Sped Up version / 7-inch
 * 1) "Feather" – 3:05
 * 2) "Feather" (Sped Up version) – 2:33

Credits and personnel
Recording and management
 * Mastered at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, New Jersey)
 * Sabalicious Songs (BMI), Music of Big Family/Don Wyan Music (BMI), administered by Hipgnosis Songs Group, Kenny + Betty Tunes (ASCAP)

Personnel


 * Sabrina Carpenter – lead vocals, songwriting
 * John Ryan – songwriting, production, recording, programming
 * Amy Allen – songwriting
 * Josh Gudwin – mixing
 * Heidi Wang – mix engineer
 * Chris Gehringer – mastering

Credits adapted from the single's 7" vinyl liner notes.