Why (Sabrina Carpenter song)

Carpenter teased the single release by sending postcards with handwritten notes and pieces of the artwork to fans. She also posted stills from romance movies on social media.

She told Billboard magazine that the song "happened very quickly". "We started with the first line of the song – 'You like New York City in the daytime; I like New York City in the night time' – and from there, the song kind of wrote itself. It's basically [about] these differences that we all have, that keep us different from one another but at the same time glue us together... I like to say it's very conversational, which some of my other songs haven't been before." She said that she "wanted this song to be able to take [fans] through the summer".[1]

"'Why' is a question we seem to pose daily, so there are multiple meanings within the song that are up to interpretation. We don’t necessarily need to be the same, to love the same. Sometimes differences can hold us together and I think that’s a beautiful sentiment to how we deal with divergence and how it can furthermore prove our compatibility. In the end, we don’t really need to know 'why' if we are confident in our own emotions," Carpenter told iHeartRadio.[2]

In an interview with Music Choice, Carpenter said that she is very excited about the song, and that she wrote it "a few months back". She said that once "we found that line [the first line of the song] we started going off on finding these little things that make us different from each other but they're not deal breakers".[3]

The song was written and recorded in March 2017 at Big Noize Studios (Hollywood Hills, California) by Carpenter, Brett McLaughlin and Jonas Jeberg.[4][5] Jeberg produced, recorded and played all the instruments for the track.[5] The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia and John Hanes served as a mix assistant.[5] The song was mastered at Sterling Sound in New York City by Chris Gehringer.[5]

"Why" is a two minutes and fifty-one seconds synthesizer-driven electropop and dark pop song.[6] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com the song is composed in the time signature of common time with a moderate rate of 90 beats per minute. It is written in the key of B minor and follows the chord progression of G2-Em7-Bm7-A. Sabrina's vocal range spans from the low note A3 to the high note of B4, giving the song almost one octave of range. The tempo is relaxed.[7] Originally, the bridge was a second part of the second verse.[4] The song is backed by a hypnotic synthesizer loop and a finger-click beat and a slick beat at the chorus.

Lyrically, "Why" talks about her and a guy being completely opposite, but they’re made for each other. Sabrina said that they started with the first line "You like New York City in the daytime / I like New York City in the nighttime" and once they found that line, they started going off on finding things that make people different from each other, but they’re not deal-breakers.[8] In the line "Funny how the stars cross right" Carpenter is making a reference to Romeo and Juliet, once the song was inspired to a lot of films such as "When Harry Met Sally...", "Romeo and Juliet" and "10 Things I Hate About You".[9]

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard magazine wrote that the single is "both extremely likable and highly promising of what's to come from the 18-year-old" and "the first step in an inevitable crossover", and that it "finds Carpenter playing a game of opposites attract with her beau, and sounding steadier in her vocal delivery". He felt that the "chopped-up synths" evoke Zedd and Alessia Cara's song "Stay".[1] Katrina Rees of CelebMix thinks that the song "experiments with an electro-pop sound", and that Carpenter's "distinctive" vocal "glides effortlessly over the slick beat".[17] Ilana Kaplan of New York Observer called the song a "pure dark-pop bop" and "hypnotic", and that it shows "Carpenter is more than ready to be taken seriously" and "a new side of the 18-year-old star".[6] Brandon Yu of SFGate regarded the song as "a catchy electro-pop tune", and that it "sounds like a surefire summer radio staple".[18] Mike Wass of Idolator referred the song as "one of the year's catchiest pop songs in early July", and felt that the "very on-trend" drop evokes Kiiara's debut single "Gold" and Kygo and Selena Gomez's collaboration "It Ain't Me".[16]

The song was premiered on the first show of The De-Tour being the sixteenth song to be performed.[19] On August 21, 2017 Carpenter performed the song on Live with Kelly and Ryan.[20] On October 24, 2017, Carpenter performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.[21] Carpenter performed the song in various shows on Jingle Ball 2017 along with Thumbs, First Love and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The song was tenth to be performed on the Singular Tour. She also performed the song on Good Morning America's Summer Concert Series.[22]

Recording and management

• Recorded at Big Noize Studios (Hollywood Hills, California)
• Mixed at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
• Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
• Seven Summits Music (BMI) obo Itself and Pink Mic Music (BMI), BMG Platinum Songs (BMI) obo BMG Rights Management UK Ltd (all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC), EMI April Music Inc/Bob Ochoa’s Homemade Salsa (ASCAP)

Personnel

Credits adapted from Singular: Act I (Japanese edition) liner notes.[5]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics