By: Skylar Teddington
The much-anticipated music video for “Feather” by Sabrina Carpenter finally dropped on Oct. 31.
Originally released as a bonus track for the deluxe edition of the album “Emails I Can’t Send,” this hit is from early 2023, but under director Mia Barnes’ supervision, it found a new glittery and bloody life this Halloween.
Don’t let the seasonal theme of the video deter you from tuning in though; this song is perfect for any time of the year.
Like the title of the song, Sabrina’s voice sounds light and airy — just like a feather!
It pairs nicely with the wispy and lighthearted melody, and the bass line really gets you moving; I couldn’t imagine “Feather” without it.
The lyrics aren’t something to sneeze at either, and if any Aggies reading this are going through a breakup or considering one, this is the song for you. While bringing a relationship to an end can be heartbreaking, sometimes it’s for the best. This is the central idea of “Feather,” cutting off an ex-partner, especially a toxic one, is like dropping a huge burden, making one feel “lighter like a feather.”
For fans of juxtapositions, it’s very interesting how the violent and grisly video contrasts with the blithe and carefree tone of the music.
The video starts out with a funeral, though it isn’t clear who it’s for.
We see Carpenter in an all-black outfit with a veil to match, meaning that she’s an attendee. Throughout the video we see her leave a trail of destruction, with each man who wronged her dying in various gruesome ways. Despite the bloodshed that seems to follow her around, she keeps a smile on her face as though she enjoys seeing everyone get what’s coming to them. By the end of the video, we’re back in the funeral home while she continues to sing about the breakup before she suddenly drives away.
Though the violence shown throughout the music video seems senseless, I can tell you it’s anything but that.
The “murder victims” symbolize toxic behavior in a relationship, their deaths can stand for cutting loose that one negative influence in your life (such as an ex-partner), and the funeral imagery is for the relationship itself since it’s effectively dead.
In addition to this interpretation, there’s also a strong message against sexism woven into the visuals; for a video about murder and heavy topics like misogyny, everything from Sabrina’s outfits to the scenery is very colorful and it makes it so fun to watch while not taking away from the issue at hand.
Overall, I find both the video and the song interesting.
I didn’t expect the visuals to be the way that they were, but I think it suits the song very well. It’s edgy without being bleak, which is a hard concept to pull off. I really enjoy the direction many alternative artists are going in with the brighter and more cheerful music — though moody music still deserves its flowers as well. While I do enjoy the song, I find that it gets a bit repetitive after a couple of listens and the lyrics are a little simple, but that just gives it a charming and catchy sound.
“Feather” is a total bop and Sabrina Carpenter makes a very stylish murderer, 9.8/10.