“Because I Liked a Boy” by Sabrina Carpenter

In 2021, when Olivia Rodrigo dropped a hit debut tune “Drivers License“, it was concluded that the song’s lyrics were most likely based on romantic issues she had with fellow singers Joshua Bassett and by extension Sabrina Carpenter. And it felt like the parties involved used the press generated by that track to capitalize via releasing a few related songs of their own.

But now that the beef is no longer front-page entertainment news, we’re starting to see the more down-to-earth effects going at it like that has had on the artists. For instance, Rodrigo, though undoubtedly grateful of her sudden ascension to superstardom through the success of “Drivers License”, let people know that she did not appreciate how people were taking her sentiments and running with it.

And it is along a similar vein “Because I Liked a Boy” is said to be based. Since Olivia was the one who dropped the big hit and Sabrina is the other woman in the equation, this caused some people to vilify the latter. And it’s like, as trained, Carpenter held all of the related emotions in for a while. But eventually things got to the point where she was not privy to, in her words, ‘tolerate’ the “b*llsh*t” she has endured for “the last two years”. As interpreted by fandom, that is the purpose this piece is meant to serve is to clear the air in that particular regard.

“Because I Liked a Boy”

So as inferred, the addressee would logically be Joshua Bassett. And as presented, he and Sabrina fell in love just like basically any other couple, i.e. innocently without any type of fear for what the future may hold.

But as time progressed, as implied in the second verse, Joshua proved to be not that committed. And as to whether or not Sabrina was devastated in the aftermath of parting ways with him, it doesn’t particularly read like she was, with the young lady rather opting to keep things in perspective. Moreover, she was able to walk away from the relationship with the satisfaction of being convinced that she thoroughly put it on the addressee, so to speak.

So then as far as the Rodrigo drama is concerned, Carpenter goes on to indicate that because of it, she has actually been the recipient of many a death threat and other unkind words. 

What it basically boils down to is that random people she doesn’t even know accuse her of destroying an established relationship, i.e. being the type of woman who would gleefully do such a thing. Moreover, Sabrina is a few years older than Olivia. Thus she’s also been lambasted for “stealing from the young”, i.e. taking Joshua away from a teenager. But meanwhile, by the time “Drivers License” came out, Carpenter and Barrett “had already broken up”.

I fell for the wrong guy!

And ultimately, the songstress chalks up all of this persecution she has gone through as being the result of, most simply put, falling for the wrong guy. So now she is advising other ladies out there not to ‘date boys with exes’. Therefore in the grand scheme of the lyrics what is fundamentally being suggested, conclusively if you will, is that Joshua broke up with Olivia, subsequently dated Sabrina and then somewhere along the line realized he was still in love with Rodrigo.

Release Date of “Because I Liked a Boy”

On 15 July 2022 Carpenter’s fifth full-length, “Emails I Can’t Send”, was made publicly available. “Because I Liked a Boy” happens to be one of the tracks on its playlist. 

Sabrina’s four-previous studio albums were put out through Hollywood Records, so this marks the singer’s debut under Island Records, who she signed to in 2021. As such, this would also be Sabrina’s first album since romantic issues she reportedly had with Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett became public. This love triangle is a reality that reportedly had a major influence on this project overall.

Was this song released as a single?

Yes. It is actually the fourth single that came out from “Emails I Can’t Send”. Other songs Carpenter released as singles from this album include:

• “Vicious”
• “Fast Times”
• “Skinny Dipping”

Credits for “Because I Liked a Boy”

Sabrina gets credit for writing this song with JP Saxe, John Ryan and songwriter-turned-singer Julia Michaels. Co-writer Ryan also served as the producer of the track.