If you’ve spent any time on the "Espresso" side of the internet lately, you know Sabrina Carpenter is basically the queen of the 2020s. But long before she was teaching us about "Bed Chem" or dominating the charts with Short n' Sweet, she released a song that felt like a quiet, vulnerable exhale.
Skinny Dipping.
It’s the lead single from her 2022 album Emails I Can't Send, and honestly, it’s one of the most underrated tracks in her entire discography. People often get confused by the title. They expect something scandalous or a literal story about midnight swimming. Instead, they get a conversational, spoken-word masterpiece about the awkwardness of running into an ex at a coffee shop.
What Really Happened With the Sabrina Carpenter Skinny Dipping Meaning?
Let’s get the literal stuff out of the way first. No, the song isn’t about being naked in a pool. Well, sort of, but mostly metaphorically.
The phrase "skinny dip in water under the bridge" is a clever play on words. We all know the idiom "water under the bridge"—it’s that stuff from the past that doesn’t bother you anymore. Sabrina takes it a step further. She’s saying she wants to get to a point where she can "take it all off"—the baggage, the defenses, the resentment—and just exist with this person without all the drama.
It’s about healing.
When it dropped in September 2021, fans were still reeling from the massive public drama involving Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo. While everyone was looking for "diss tracks," Sabrina gave us a song about manifesting a day when it just doesn't hurt anymore.
The Coffee Shop Encounter
The song starts with a hyper-specific scenario. It’s a Wednesday. She’s at a coffee shop. She hears a barista call out an "oat milk latte" and a name she recognizes.
It’s him.
The lyrics capture that specific, jittery anxiety of small talk. You know the vibe. "How’s your family? How’s your sister?" She mentions her sister Shannon being, well, Shannon. It’s so real it almost feels like we’re eavesdropping.
The Scrabble Clue and the Emails Era
Did you know the title of her entire album was actually hidden in the "Skinny Dipping" music video?
If you pause at the right moment during the Scrabble scene, you can see the letters spell out Emails I Can't Send. It was a total "Easter egg" moment that sent the fandom into a tailspin.
The music video, directed by Amber Park, is a visual metaphor for letting go. We see Sabrina writing letters to herself and putting them in a box labeled "this too shall pass." By the end, she’s dancing in a green dress on the streets of New York City and tossing those letters into the air.
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It’s messy. It’s cinematic. It’s very Sabrina.
Why the Spoken Word Style Worked
Unlike her high-energy pop hits, this track uses a spoken-word delivery in the verses. It feels like she’s just talking to you. It mimics the cadence of an actual conversation, which makes the transition into the melodic chorus feel like a huge relief.
Critics at the time, including those from Rolling Stone, noted how this "detour from radio-friendly songwriting" actually made her more relatable. It wasn't just a polished pop song; it was a "time capsule," as she later told Jimmy Fallon.
Acknowledging the "Josh" Elephant in the Room
We can't talk about "Skinny Dipping" without mentioning the context of 2021. Most fans believe the song is about Joshua Bassett.
The "arguments in your garage" line is a recurring theme in the lore of that era. But what makes "Skinny Dipping" different from a song like "Skin" is the lack of defensiveness. It’s not trying to win an argument. It’s acknowledging the "sabotage" on both sides.
- The Sabotage: She sings about how they both ruined it.
- The Reality: They were "swimming on the edge of a cliff."
- The Hope: Maybe one day they can just be people again.
Some fans on Reddit have argued it could be about Bradley Steven Perry, her Disney-era ex, because of the "nostalgic" vibe. But the timeline of the "emails" she was writing suggests it’s firmly rooted in the 2020-2021 heartbreak.
How to Apply the "Skinny Dipping" Mindset to Your Life
Honestly, there’s a lesson here. We all have "water under the bridge" that still feels a bit murky.
If you’re trying to move past a situation that feels heavy, take a page out of Sabrina's book.
- Write it out. She literally wrote "emails she couldn't send." Grab a journal or a Notes app and vent. You don't have to hit send.
- Label your baggage. The "this too shall pass" box isn't just a music video prop. It’s a psychological tool. Acknowledge the pain, then put it in its place.
- Accept the awkwardness. If you see an ex, it’s going to be weird. That’s okay. Small talk about oat milk lattes is just part of the human experience.
- Manifest the "Skinny Dip." Aim for a version of yourself that isn't triggered by a name or a location.
Sabrina Carpenter proved that you can turn your most embarrassing, anxious moments into art. "Skinny Dipping" was the first real glimpse we got of the "unapologetic" songwriter she has become today.
Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by the past, put on your headphones, find a green dress (metaphorically or literally), and remember that eventually, it all becomes water under the bridge.
To dive deeper into her growth, you should listen to "Skinny Dipping" back-to-back with "Short n' Sweet" tracks like "Lie to Girls." You'll hear the evolution from a girl trying to heal to a woman who finally has the upper hand.
Actionable Insight: If you're struggling with closure, try the "Unsent Letter" technique. Write everything you want to say to that person who hurt you. Don't edit. Don't hold back. Once you're done, delete it or burn it. It’s the fastest way to start "taking it all off" so you can finally just exist.