Posted by Sabrina Carpenter released her new single, Because I Liked a Boy, on July 14, and fans went immediately crazy about it. The reason is that this single represents a further important step in the complicated situation between her, the singer Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo. This article will explain what’s going on and the real meaning of the lyrics.
You can find the official video of Sabrina Carpenter’s new song below.
Sabrina Carpenter, Joshua Bassett, and Olivia Rodrigo: what’s happening?
In short, it’s a long story. US Magazine made a very detailed article about it, and you may need 10 abundant minutes to understand all phases of the situation. But we can provide a quick recap here.
Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett were probably dating around 2020, but, at some point, fans started to believe that they had broken up. A short time later, Bassett was seen on many occasions with Sabrina Carpenter. Despite none of them ever confirming officially that they were dating, people believed that Sabrina could be the reason why Bassett broke up with Olivia Rodrigo.
Olivia Rodrigo composed several songs about a girl she was jealous of, who could have caused the breakup. Bassett, on his side, made songs about a girl who is trying to hurt him, a friend who disappointed him. And during all this, Sabrina was also releasing music about a romantic rivalry between her and another girl.
None of this was ever confirmed officially by any of the three. Still, the bottom line is: Sabrina Carpenter and Joshua Bassett are currently very close, probably dating, and Olivia Rodrigo probably believes that Sabrina was the reason why she’s no longer dating Joshua.
Because I Liked A Boy: the lyrics and their meaning
In Because I Liked A Boy, Sabrina describes a sweet, innocent love relationship that she had with a guy. Many hints confirm that the guy is Joshua Bassett. She sings:
Was only tryna hold you close
While your heart was failing
The lines should refer to the heart failure Joshua Bassett experienced in 2021 (after the feud with Olivia Rodrigo started). Sabrina also mentions the accusations she’s been receiving from the internet for months, including death threats that she already mentioned in another song, Skin.
I’m a homewrecker, I’m a s**t
I got death threats fillin’ up semi-trucks
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked a boy
And all of this for what?
When everything went down, we’d already broken up
From these lines, it’s clear that Sabrina is defending herself. She’s been accused unfairly, and they are not even together. The song wants to highlight how everything started so innocently and how there was no reason for her to think that being together was wrong. The first lines of the song cover this explicitly:
I said I wanted thin mints
And you said you knew a guy
You showed up with a boombox
And stars in your eyes
Who knew cuddling on trampolines
Could be so reckless?
We bonded over Black Eyed Peas
And complicated exes
Fell so deeply into it
It was all so innocent
It all comes to the following lines, where she feels disappointed about how a normal situation turned into a nightmare:
Dating boys with exes
No, I wouldn’t recommend it
Getting at the core of the meaning of the lyrics, Because I Liked A Boy tries to explain Sabrina Carpenter’s point of view on the situation all social networks talk about. She didn’t steal any boyfriend; she dated Joshua Bassett when he was already single (a boy with an ex). The whole world accused her of being the reason why he broke up with Olivia Rodrigo, but it’s an unfair allegation.
Of course, none of the people involved ever confirmed that their music is talking about it, and neither they publicly officialized any relationship. Still, this explanation matches how everybody interpreted their statements and music in the last couple of years.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
I said I wanted thin mints
And you said you knew a guy
You showed up with a boombox
And stars in your eyes
Who knew cuddling on trampolines
Could be so reckless?
We bonded over Black Eyed Peas
And complicated exes
Fell so deeply into it
It was all so innocent
Now I’m a homewrecker, I’m a s**t
I got death threats fillin’ up semi-trucks
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked—
I’m a hot topic on your tongue
I’m a rebound gettin’ ’round stealin’ from the young
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked a boy
I’m not catastrophizing
Everything’s derailing
Was only tryna hold you close
While your heart was failing
It’s not internet illusion
Just two kids going through it
You said I’m too late to be your first love
But I’ll always be your favorite
Now I’m a homewrecker, I’m a s**t
I got death threats fillin’ up semi-trucks
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked—
I’m a hot topic on your tongue
I’m a rebound gettin’ ’round stealin’ from the young
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked a boy
Fell so deeply into it
It was all so innocent
Dating boys with exes
No, I wouldn’t recommend it
I’m a homewrecker, I’m a s**t
I got death threats fillin’ up semi-trucks
Tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked a boy
And all of this for what?
When everything went down, we’d already broken up
Please, tell me who I am, guess I don’t have a choice
All because I liked a boy
