The 25-year-old pop star went all out for this release, featuring 21-year-old Jenna Ortega, famously known for her role as Wednesday Addams in the popular series ‘Wednesday.’
Here’s what goes down.
The video begins with a warning that’s quite uncharacteristic for Carpenter, stating: “PARENTAL ADVISORY AND VIEWER WARNING: The following video contains explicit content and depicts graphic violence which may be offensive to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.”
As Carpenter delivers her haunting version of rock-a-bye-baby, the scene is set with guns, knives, handcuffs, and even a teddy bear blindfolded on her bed.
The video then dives into dark humor as it portrays a violent, gory feud between Carpenter and Ortega, which fans speculate might be linked to Carpenter’s ex, Shawn Mendes.
But what leads fans to make that connection?
Sabrina Carpenter was reportedly entangled in a love triangle with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello early last year.
In March 2023, despite Carpenter’s belief that she and Mendes were an item, Mendes publicly denied they were together. A month later, he was reportedly seen getting close with Cabello, with whom he had a previous relationship.
The lyrics of Carpenter’s song make a nod to this situation. 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, I bet you do, just know you’ll taste me too.”
The music video for “Taste” dramatically visualizes a rivalry between two girls over a guy, which seems to parallel Carpenter’s real-life experiences, though she has yet to confirm this.
The video escalates quickly when Carpenter, armed with a cleaver, sneaks into Ortega’s room to attack her.
However, Ortega isn’t in bed; she ambushes Carpenter from behind a door with a shotgun, sending Carpenter humorously tumbling from the balcony onto a fence below.
The chaos continues with a flurry of blood, bullets, petrol, fire, and a confused boyfriend. The climax is both gruesome and ironic, as Ortega, in a rage, uses a chainsaw on Carpenter’s midriff without realising it is really her boyfriend.
The action-packed and darkly humorous video, coupled with its catchy tune, might just be the hit of the summer. You have to see it for yourself to get the full experience!
