Songfacts®:

• "Feather" grooves with funky disco vibes, chronicling Sabrina Carpenter's freeing from a toxic ex.
  
  It's not your run-of-the-mill breakup anthem. Sabrina had cut ties long ago, but emotional remnants lingered. Her former lover tried to rekindle things, but it backfired as he was sending mixed signals.
  
  Sabrina hits the block button, putting a stop to the emotional ping-pong. Now liberation echoes - she's unburdened, feeling as light as a feather without the ex weighing on her mind.
• Island Records released "Feather" as a single from Emails I Can't Send Fwd, the deluxe edition of Carpenter's fifth album, Emails I Can't Send. The record expanded the original 13-track project by introducing four new songs.
• Sabrina Carpenter and Amy Allen wrote the track with producer John Ryan, who also programmed and engineered it.
  
  Amy Allen, a native of Maine, has established herself as a sought-after songwriter, crafting hits for some of the biggest names in the music industry. Her impressive portfolio includes co-writing Halsey's "Without Me," Harry Styles' "Adore You" and Selena Gomez' "Back to You."
  
  Upstate New York native John Ryan was a frequent collaborator with the British-Irish boy band One Direction. He co-wrote or co-produced many of their songs, including "Best Song Ever," "Story of My Life" and "Drag Me Down."
  
  Ryan was the producer behind four Emails I Can't Send tracks, including "Fast Times," which served as its second single.
• Carpenter released a special Spotify Singles EP for the streaming platform on October 18, 2023 that includes a live acoustic version of the song as well as a cover of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble."
  
  "This version compared to the original version of 'Feather' is way less pop," said the singer. "And it's super funky and I think this is a really cool opportunity for the musicality of the song to show through. We build the song around a Wurli and a really tight bass line. Kind of pair with a little bit more of a laid back vocal. The song has so much attitude so it's really fun to be able to kinda express that in this version."
• Carpenter performed the song live for the first time, along with her hit "Nonsense," during the official pre-show for the 2023 VMAs on September 12, 2023.
• In the horror-inspired movie video, Sabrina Carpenter cheerfully facilitates the demise of several toxic men. Carpenter remains unbothered - their deaths weigh on her mind as heavy as a feather. The video's release on October 31, 2023 coincided with Halloween.
  
  Catholic priest, Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello, who allowed a scene to be filmed inside Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, had his administrative duties terminated. In the offending scene, Carpenter dances in a black tulle dress around their funeral altar.
  
  Msgr. Jamie J. Gigantiello told the New York Times Carpenter's people had informed him the shoot would be a funeral scene, but the resulting music video was "not what was initially presented to me."
  
  "We got approval in advance," the former Disney Channel star responded to Variety of the shoot, "and Jesus was a carpenter."