Fans Think "Taste" Details Sabrina Carpenter's Brief Relationship With Shawn Mendes
Even Camila Cabello wrote a track about the love triangle with her, Shawn, and Sabrina.
Published Sept. 6 2024, 6:35 p.m. ET
Since Sabrina Carpenter's new album "Short n' Sweet" released, listeners have been picking apart the lyrics, looking for details about her love life. Though the singer was most recently connected with Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan, he's not the only romantic partner who's alluded to within the album's lines.
"Taste," the opening track on the album, sings to a woman about a man she's seeing, alluding to the fact that the narrator has also been romantically involved with him at the same time.
Though no names are named, it didn't take long for listeners to use context clues to piece together who the song could be about. This pop track seems to allude to a well-publicized relationship between a couple of other singers.
Who is "Taste" about? Sabrina Carpenter allegedly sings about Shawn Mendes.
Sabrina and Shawn Mendes were briefly linked following Shawn's split from his longtime girlfriend Camila Cabello. Though their relationship was never confirmed, they were spotted together numerous times throughout their brief fling.
That said, amid all of this, Shawn was spotted kissing Camila while at Coachella that same year, despite the rumors that he was dating Sabrina. This sparked a slurry of claims that the pair were reconnecting, though they ultimately fizzled out again shortly after.
In "Taste," Sabrina sings about a partner getting back with their ex, noting how despite the reconnection, her influence on him will always be there. In the chorus, she sings "I heard you're back together and if that's true / You'll just have to taste me when he's kissin' you / If you want forever, and I bet you do / Just know you'll taste me too."
There could be a bit of a double meaning when she says "you'll just have to taste me when he's kissin' you," as Sabrina is known for her subtle sexual metaphors. She also takes a jab at herself, joking "I know I've been known to share," alluding to her previous relationship with Joshua Bassett following his split with Olivia Rodrigo.
Ultimately, the song feels like a note to Camila, reminding her that even though Shawn reconnected with her while he was allegedly seeing Sabrina, that doesn't change the fact that they dated for a brief time. Even if they reconnect, Sabrina pointedly sings how her "taste" will continue to linger on his tongue and in his person as they continue their romance.
Camila similarly alluded to this love triangle in her song "June Gloom."
Though Camila's album "C,XOXO" may not have gotten as much attention as Sabrina's has, she also wrote about Shawn coming back to her while he was seeing Sabrina in her song "June Gloom." On the track, Camila sings, "If she's so amazing / Why are you on this side of town? / If you like her so much / What are you here tryna find out?"
At the very least, this seemingly confirms that Camila knew Shawn was with Sabrina at the time they reconnected. Though they had a brief period where they went back and forth, reconnecting and breaking up, Shawn and Camila are no longer together, nor is Shawn with Sabrina.